The Burning Bridge
by MissjudyK
Summary: Ben and Adam's argument over a woman's lies leaves Adam hurt and angry, He moves out, confronts the liar, and finds that he's been part of her fantasy for years. His quest for the truth takes him to Placerville, where he finds other who were caught in her web of lies, insane schemes and murder. Adam pays dearly for getting involved, and hopes one day to reclaim his family.


**The Burning Bridge**

**Part I - The War of Words and Wills**

**One**

**Into the Fray**

Being the Cartwright most likely to be in trouble or the object of the town gossip mill over the years, Little Joe was excited that he'd finally gotten information that gave him the upper hand on his sainted oldest brother. He didn't believe a word of what he'd heard, but he still wanted to see Adam's face when he told him…and he especially hear what his father would have to say about it.

Ben Cartwright didn't put any stock in gossip, yet he had a strong aversion to having his family as the fodder for it. This rumor about Adam was making its way through town with the speed and ferocity of an angry bull in full charge, and in this instance, Little Joe knew his father would care greatly. None of his family had been to town for a few days so he had gone in for the mail and had stopped at the Bucket of Blood for a cold ginger beer before he'd headed home. It was there that he'd been assailed with the sordid details of what his brother was being accused of "creating" some years ago.

The youngest Cartwright was not one to notice details when he was on a mission, and he missed several important ones as he neared the front of his house. He didn't pay attention to the loud voices making their way through the heavy door, and he didn't notice the strained expressions on his father and oldest brother's faces as he charged into the room. He didn't pick up on the twitch below Adam's right eye or the fighter's stance he'd assumed. He didn't even sense the anger hanging thick and acrid in the room, like the lingering smoke after a weapon discharge. Little Joe remained oblivious to all of these warning signs, and after casually tossing his hat onto the credenza; he began spewing forth the "news" from town.

"Hey, there's a woman named Margot Tanner in Virginia City. She and her folks used to live here, but she's been away for nearly 12 years." Both men turned to stare at Joe as he continued his revelations. "The news going around is that she's got an eleven year old kid with her she says Adam fathered just before he went out East for school. Boy, Adam I didn't even…" He stopped talking when his father hissed, "That'll be enough, Joseph." At that same moment, he noticed Hoss entering the room from the kitchen with a lanky, dark-haired kid tagging along behind him. Joe let out a whistle. "Oh, I see you already know."

Hoss brought the boy over to Joe and introduced him as Jake Tanner. Then turning to the boy, "Jake, this here's my brother, Little Joe. How's about we all go outside fer a spell?" Hoss placed a tight, guiding grip on both Joe and Jake's shoulders as he ushered them toward the door. "I'll saddle up a horse and let ya ride around the corral, Jake. How's that sound to you?"

Little Joe strained to look back at the two men in the house, but his middle brother was too strong to wrench free of, and too large to see over, so he gave up his efforts and moved in the direction Hoss was pushing, hoping he'd get the details once they were outside.

**Two**

**The Shot That Began the Crossfire**

Hoss saddled a big, gentle mare and made sure Jake got on without problems.

"I know how to ride," the boy spat as he grabbed for the reins.

"Well, that's good, Jake. But suppose you just put old Biddy here through a few paces jest to be sure you're familiar with _her_ before we go anywhere. That sound fair?"

Hoss's soft smile and soothing manner as he adjusted the stirrup length defused the tension in the child. "Sure," he sighed, "I can do that." Jake gave Biddy a nudge with his heels and she ambled off across the enclosure.

The two brothers leaned back onto the corral fencing, watching as Jake practiced turning, stopping, and starting the mare. With those maneuvers finished, he brought the horse to a trot.

"Seems like he knows what he's doin', don't it?" Hoss nodded toward the boy on the horse.

"Well, Adam's a pretty good horseman too, so it sort of makes sense his son would take to it." Little Joe tried to keep a straight face, but eventually burst into a giggle and gave Hoss a jab in the ribs. "Had you goin' there, didn't I?"

Hoss glared at his younger brother. "It ain't right of you to make fun of Adam nor this kid, Joe. This whole situation is somethin' purely awful. You should have heard Pa and Adam goin' at each other before you got here. I don't know what's gonna happen in there, but every bit a me is a saying it won't be good. So I'd ask you to keep your unkind remarks to yerself."

Joe's face tinged a deep scarlet as he apologized, and then asked, "How'd Jake end up out here?"

"That Margot Tanner you mentioned came by this mornin' and dropped Jake off right after Adam left to check the new stock. It seemed almost like she'd been waitin' for him to ride out, cuz when she said she was there for Adam, I offered to get him back, and she got nervous lookin' and said no. I thought right off that she was more interested in telling Pa that the boy was Adam's son, than tellin' Adam about it. She went into some wild story about how she and Adam were together at a party just before he went off to school, and he was gone before she knew she was in a family way. She even said she found out where Adam was at out East and sent him letters, but never heard back from him. She figured he didn't care to accept his responsibility."

Joe's eyebrows rose as his mouth gaped. "Well that don't sound like our brother. I mean, even if it had happened, he'd have owned up to it sure enough. What else did she say?"

"She said she went off on her own to have the baby so's not to bring shame to her family, and brought the boy up by herself until now." Hoss sighed deeply as he continued the story. "Then she heaped the guilt on Pa, telling him of her money troubles and how she knowed a man like Ben Cartwright would want better for his flesh and blood than staying in a shed out back a saloon where she worked to make a few bucks."

Joe's questioning look turned to disbelief. "So what'd Pa say to that?"

"Nothin. He sort of stammered, lookin' like he was poleaxed, but I think he was plum puzzled as to what she wanted and waited out the entire story."

"Which was…?" Joe asked impatiently.

"She's tired of her son livin' poor while his pa lives here with want for nothin'. She thinks Jake should have some of the finer things in life; even if she won't never have them." Hoss shook his head. "That's when she got teary and said she didn't want nothin' for herself; just a better life for the boy. After that she handed Pa a bag with the boy's clothes and said that she'd be in Virginia City, and would check on him in a few days. She finished by saying she hoped that Adam would start doing what he should have done eleven years back."

"What's that?"

"Be the boy's pa, I guess. Joe, I know I shoulda said something right then. I knew it didn't ring true of Adam, but I was so dang dumbfounded that I stood there with my mouth hangin' open, same as Pa. She was out that door and away before either of us regained our voices or senses."

"So what'd Adam say when he got home?"

"You know what he said... That there's no way the boy is his. That he barely knew Margot Tanner and was never at no party with her."

Little Joe rolled his eyes. "Hoss, getting this story outta you is like pulling teeth… What'd Pa say?"

"That's not so easy to tell. I'm not sure whether he's hopin' Adam's tellin' the truth or not. He listened to Adam, and seemed to be swayed to believe him, but that woman…she laid just enough doubt in his mind by putting just enough hope in his heart that there was a Cartwright heir beyond us boys. I know he don't believe her true deep down, because he'd have to believe that Adam's lying. But it's tearin' him to pieces thinking about any child not havin' a father, and's lettin' that infect his judgment."

Joe thought a moment. "You know, Pa's been sorely wishing for one of us to marry and start a passel of kids. He doesn't say it outright, but whenever someone asks about whether any of us boys are near to settling down, he gets a longing look, don't he?"

"I know what you mean Joe. It's like he won't never push us into anything we ain't ready for, but he sure would be happy if it happened soon. And what's worse is that he _is_ sayin' it outright…just not to us."

Hoss's comment made Joe wonder what his brother knew that he didn't, but asked instead, "What's the boy said about all of this?"

"Truth is, we ain't asked, and he ain't offerin'. He's mostly polite and listens real good, but seems nervous like you'd expect. I been keepin' him busy so he don't hear all the commotion. One of the hands had Jake out looking over the horses we're gonna be breakin' tomorrow, and brought him back just about the time you got here. I'd taken him to get some cookies and we was about to head back outside when you came in spoutin' your 'information' and I figured we might as well take you with us before you made things worse."

"You remember what Adam looked like when he was eleven? Does this kid look like him?"

"That's not a question to waste any time ponderin' because he ain't Adam's son."

"I know that Hoss, and wasn't implying anything. I was just considering that this Margot must have figured there was some similarity to be able to make this claim without us laughing at her."

Hoss considered for a minute before answering. "Well, I'm guessing it's more that Margot saw just enough resemblance to what Adam looks like now to think she could get away with making the claim. They both got dark, curly hair and a similar build. But Jake's blue eyes and the shape of his face ain't like Adam's at all. I'm never quite sure what color Adam's eyes are, but I can tell you this much fer certain—they ain't blue. And that Margot's eyes are dark as night. Somethin' just doesn't add up, but I can't put my finger on what it is."

Both brothers watched Jake a while longer until Hoss hollered over to him that he seemed good with a horse just like he said he was, and then suggested they all take a ride. Hoss directed his final comments quietly to Joe. "Maybe we best get away so Jake don't have to listen to them two inside hollerin' it out. Can't say it seems fair for him to be caught in the middle."

**Three**

**The Battle Takes Casualties**

Inside the house, battle lines had been drawn and the war of words was going full force. The exit of Hoss, Joe and Jake had opened the battlefield for full combat to begin, and direct hits were being taken.

"I don't care what Margot Tanner says, Pa. I cannot be this boy's father. That's the beginning and end to it."

"Are you sure son? That was some years ago. Maybe you just aren't certain…"

"Certain?" Adam stormed, "That he's not my son or that I might not know if he's my son? Which part aren't you sure of?"

Ben remained silent at first, and then launched an assault from a different vantage point. "You were very young then, Adam. Perhaps you just weren't fully aware of the consequences of…"

Adam cut him off with a sad laugh. "Are you honestly suggesting that I didn't know the possible outcome of intimacy when I was 17?" A resigned sigh issued from the man who couldn't understand why he had to explain this to his father. "I learned about it back when we were in the wagon trains. Living space was tight as you might recall. The kids heard, and even saw things we weren't meant to, and we talked about it. There were a few misconceptions, but we had a general idea of what was going on when our parents thought we were sleeping."

He saw his father blanch. "And so you stop looking like a sick bull: I never had anything to add to such conversations. But it was an education. What I wasn't certain about was perfected as we settled here and started breeding cattle. You always said I was a smart kid, Pa. I certainly knew enough about such things by the time I left for college."

"There's no need to be coarse, I'm only suggesting possibilities."

The pain he felt from his father's words was physical as well as mental, and he breathed deeply to stop his head from spinning "Pa. I'm going to say this one last time. I barely knew Margot Tanner—maybe saw her in town a couple of times. She said this happened at a party before I left for school, but you know I didn't go to any parties then. I got shot that year and barely recovered in time to leave. Jeb Smyth may have mentioned that Margot was sweet on me, but my only focus then was on school and I studied every night just to be ready. This boy is not my son. I am not mistaken or confused. And most importantly, Pa, you know me! I wouldn't have done anything to jeopardize my future or your faith in me. Let me put this as plainly as I can…Margot Tanner is a liar."

Pinned down, but not surrendering, Ben spoke softly; almost longingly. "He looks like you." And after a moment added, "Why would a mother lie about such a thing?"

Spent and defeated, Adam raised a verbal white flag for one last try at a peaceful ceasefire. "Think about it, Pa. Everyone says Josh and Mike Jones are the spitting image of each other. They think that because they want to see a resemblance, not because it's true. Josh's mother married Mike long after the boy's real father died. We see what we want to and even find similarities that don't exist. Just because Jake is tall for his age and has curly hair doesn't make him mine any more than some random short, wiry kid would be Joe's. And as to why Margot might lie…look around you, Pa. She holds the keys to money, property and position with a Cartwright child. She's not the first who tried to lie or trick her way onto the Ponderosa, but she is the first to try by this method. If you don't stop this now, others will follow."

Ben sat at Adam's side, still not ready to surrender. "And what shall I do with this child? Toss him out on the road? What will people think of such behavior?"

"When has it begun to matter to you what others think when the truth is involved? I'll take him into town and let Roy know what's going on. Then I'll find out where Margot's staying and get the truth from her. This is not a question of paternity—it's a matter of extortion!"

Ben laid his hand gently on Adam's shoulder. "Are you absolutely sure this isn't your child? I wouldn't think less of you if he is." He wondered what was happening as he felt what seemed to be sobs wracking the young man's body. But as his son raised his head, he saw that Adam was actually chuckling silently, and that grew to great sucking laughs as Adam shook loose of his father's hand, rose, and headed for the steps.

Ben yelled out as Adam walked away from him. "I find nothing funny here. Turn around and look at me!" The laughing continued a moment longer until the room echoed with silence. "What's wrong with you, boy?" The father demanded. "Come back here so we can figure this out."

Adam stopped on the landing to face his father one last time. "What's wrong with _me_? Nothing at all! I stood in trial before you today, and have found myself innocent on all counts. What I can't fathom is why you seem more disappointed in the truth than you would be if I were mistaken, careless or uncertain. I'm sorry for what's happening to Jake, but it is not my place to be making any decisions about his future." He folded his arms and looked at his father thoughtfully. "On the other hand, you've made up your mind as to my guilt, so what more is there for me to say?" He shrugged and shook his head. "In fact I think this whole hoax is directed more at you than me. Margot didn't bring the child to me; she brought him to you. She knew I'd have sent her packing because there was no truth to it…but with you…she found a willing and sympathetic ear." Adam turned abruptly, taking the last few steps two at a time to escape the battlefield and lick his wounds.

Adam was a defeated man. In less than ten minutes he'd lost all credibility with his father. He'd been accused of either being a liar, or too naive to know whether he had created a child with a woman he'd only spoken to. He was shaking in sadness and anger, not able to believe what had transpired.

His voice was silent as his mind raged. _Of course women lie about such things when it serves their purpose. How can my own father value the word of a stranger over that of his son—a son who has never lied to him before, and has always done the right thing?_ It took some time for him to calm down, while he listened for footsteps in the hall that might signify his father's change of heart. Hearing none, he went ahead with making plans to get away before things got so ugly between them that he might never be able to come home.

When Hoss and Joe returned from their ride, they asked Jake to help Hop Sing with some gardening while they went inside to see how the battle had ended. They found Ben looking bewildered as he paced the living area. Hoss guided his father to his chair by the hearth, and the two boys took seats nearby. They barely got settled when they heard footsteps coming down the steps, and turned to see their brother descending, carrying an overstuffed carpetbag under his arm with a bulging saddlebag tossed over his shoulder. He grabbed his coat from the railing at the bottom of the steps where he'd left it earlier, and headed silently to the credenza for his hat and gun.

Hoss intercepted him on the way to the door; grabbing his arms. saying, "Adam," trying to break into his brother's trance-like stare. "Adam," Hoss said again as he shook him. "What're you planning to do? This ain't no time to be leavin'."

Adam leveled his eyes at Hoss. "It ain't no time to be stayin' either."

"What're you talkin' about, Adam." Hoss was near frantic. He had seen his father's turmoil just as he now saw the tortured pain in his brother's eyes.

"Ask Pa what I'm talking about!" He pushed free of Hoss's grasp and took another step toward the door.

Ben finally broke from his stupor. "Be reasonable, son. You have a responsibility here. You can't run away from it."

The reply had the tone of a wounded animal. "A responsibility? My only responsibility was to tell the truth, and I did that. I have always been responsible, Pa, and it's why I know this is _not_ my problem. I've already told you what I would do! But you think very little of me or what I say, so you figure out where you stand and deal with it as you see fit."

This time he didn't stop until the door slammed behind him.

Ben waited, expecting that Adam would come back in and clear things up. When the door remained shut, he shook his head and asked, "What just happened here?"

Little Joe pulled deep into his chair, hoping to become invisible. He had no idea what to say to either man.

Hoss walked to his father, stopping directly in front of him. He had heard the opening salvos of the battle that had been fought in the great room of the Ponderosa house, and he figured that from what Adam had just said, their father hadn't been able to accept Adam's denial. "Seems like you might have asked just once too often if Adam was sure, Pa. I think what's happened here is that you burned down a bridge that will take some powerful fixin' before it can ever be crossed again."

"What are you talking about, Hoss? Adam will figure out that I was only trying to do what was best for everyone, and come back in a few minutes."

"You think you're doin' what's right for _everyone, _Pa? You asked Adam if it was possible that Jake could be his son and he told you no. Yet it seems you must have kept pokin' the same question at him in different ways after I left, and that amounts to you callin' him a liar. Saying that he isn't responsible isn't what best for him either! Think of who you're talkin' about! Adam's the most responsible person I ever knowed, 'ceptin' you. If I know him as well as I think I do, I'm bettin' that he says Jake needs to go back to town and Sheriff Coffee's got to get involved to find out what's really goin' on. Somethin's just plumb wrong and I don't know what or why, but letting that boy think we're his family for even a minute longer ain't what's best for him. It's just gonna make it harder when he finds out it's not true.

"I never said your brother was lying!" Ben's anger raged now at his middle son.

"Saying that might justify what you did in yer own mind, Pa, but you did. Fact is I don't think even you know why you did it." Hoss was unsure whether to tread into this swamp, but in his heart, he knew he didn't want this scene repeated again with him or Joe someday, so he mucked on. "Pa, you been hanging your feelins' on your sleeve for some time now. I'm fearin' that in this whole mess, you was thinkin' mainly of what was best for you."

Ben's outrage disolved to confusion. "Now what are you talking about?"

Sometimes I think you're gettin' impatient for this family to continue, and let it fall into your conversations. Like the other day when we was at the mercantile and you was talkin' to Mrs. Henry. She asked was any of your sons entertainin' thoughts of marriage yet. Then she said she bet you wished you had little ones running around the ranch to make sure the Cartwright name continued on."

Defiance burned in Ben's voice. "So, now you're monitoring my conversations?"

"Just listenin'…like all them other people in the store. Do you remember telling her that it was your greatest wish to have a whole passle of kids around the ranch someday soon." Hoss let that rest a moment. "Pa, don't you see, by the time we left that store, I'd bet Mrs. Henry had already spread that information to a number of people and it was just like the Bible says: them seeds of gossip landed on some mighty fertile soil. Maybe one even landed on this Margot Tanner."

"You're saying this is my fault?"

"No, Pa, it ain't yer fault. The only fault here is in this woman who wants to take advantage of her own kid. But you gotta know that's all this is. Jake's a nice boy, but he ain't a Cartwright. Adam says it can't be, and I believe him. Adam's word has always been enough for me; used to be enough for you too."

**Four**

**Sounding Retreat**

The angry son had left the house ahead of the slamming door and made his way to the barn, thinking only of saddling Sport to leave. He didn't notice the child sitting on the porch as he stormed past—or that he rose to follow him—and was startled when a young voice spoke to him as he threw a blanket over the big chestnut's back.

"I guess you don't want to be my pa."

"Huh?" Adam spun to face the boy. The anger that had been building and boiling was suddenly gone, and Adam's face took a softer edge. Leading Jake over to the tack box, he urged him to sit, and squatted down in front of him. "I'm sorry, Jake. You shouldn't have to go through all this. It's not that I don't want to be your father, it's just that…I'm not."

Jake looked down as he listened.

"If there was any chance that you were my son, I'd do everything I could to help. You seem like a great kid from the little I've seen of you, and it might even be different if I knew why your mother was doing this. If she had asked me for help, I'd still have done whatever I could for both of you. But I'm afraid that Margot is being untruthful, so it gets far more complicated.

"I know you ain't." Jake's eyes remained focused on his boots.

"You know I aint, what?" Adam questioned, not understanding the turn in the conversation.

Two blue eyes locked on Adam. "You ain't my pa. I know that."

"What?...How?...I mean, let's start at the beginning, Jake. Tell me what you do know."

"You ain't my Pa, mister. Margot Tanner ain't even my ma."

Adam was at a loss. He moved Jake over on the box so he could take a seat next to him as he figured out what to say next. "So, where's your mother?"

"She died some weeks back."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I asked your brothers why none of you look alike and they told me that you all had different mothers. They said yours died when you was just born. I'm sorry for you too mister. It's not easy losing your ma…ever."

Adam's arm found its way around the boy's shoulders as they shared a common loss. Jake leaned into Adam's chest, as he continued. "Margot was my ma's friend. I guess they lived around these parts at one time. My ma was Missy Reed. Do you remember her?"

"Yes I do, Jake," he said after thinking back. "I think Margot and Missy were usually together back when I knew them. Seems to me there's a family named Reed that still works a homestead between here and Carson City. Do you know them?"

"Nope. I didn't think I had any family. Listenin' to my ma and Margot, I heard them talk about how my ma had to leave town after getting into 'trouble' and Margot went with her. I'm not sure what kind of trouble she was in, but she couldn't tell no one about it."

The grip around the boy tightened for a moment as Adam smiled. "I understand, Jake; just go on with your story."

"Well, I never knew my pa, but I know you ain't him. He was some 'low-down, no-account weasel named Ned who rode trail—accordin' to my Aunty Margot. I don't think ma ever saw him again."

"I see." Adam chuckled.

"So anyway, my ma got killed in a wagon accident and Aunty Margot—that's what I was s'posed to call her before she started wanting me to call her, Ma—said she'd bring me out here for my grandparents to raise. Maybe they're the folks you mentioned." He looked hopefully at Adam. "She said she didn't have no skills to be raisin' a kid on her own. But when we got here, she said she heard your pa in town 'talkin' to some old crone about wantin' grandkids' and told me that if I'd help her with a little play actin', we could both earn a few dollars for our efforts. Said it'd help my grandparents out to have a few exter dollars for my upbringin' so's they might be more willin' to take me on."

"So the charade began," Adam mused.

"The what began?"

"Oh, sorry, Jake. She planned a sort-of game for you to play with her, right?"

"Yup. I just had to pretend to be yer son fer a few days. She knew you'd deny it, so we waited until we thought you'd be away awhile, figgerin' we'd be long gone before you ever got back. She hung around the saloon listening to your ranch hands until she heard that they was moving the herd, and thought you'd be goin' too. We actually watched yer house for a day or two from that rise over yonder, until she saw you ride off."

Adam shook his head and muttered, "Of all the scheming…" but stopped short as he remembered that Jake had been used as much as he had. "So what were you supposed to do while I was gone?"

My job was to stay here and call your pa, Granddaddy, while I treated him real nice and got him stewin' over having a grandson. She was to come back and I'd say I loved yer pa real much, but wanted to be with my mother. Margot suspected that would get old Ben Cartwright to open up his wallet so we wouldn't have to live so hard as he thought we'd been. Then we'd promise to visit and write letters, but would just disappear instead."

Adam was dumbfounded. "Well, that was quite the plan…and all lies."

You know, Aunty Margot said yer family would be good to me and I wouldn't have to worry about anything until she came back. That's the one thing she didn't lie about."

"So what made you back out, Jake? Why are you telling me this?"

"My ma woulda been ashamed of me for lyin' this way. She was differnt than Aunty Margot. I remember the two of them talking about the Cartwrights now and again. Aunty Margot always had a bee in her bonnet about you. She thought you were gonna marry her back when, but that you got so uppity, you needed to be taken down a peg or two. My ma always told her that maybe it just wasn't meant to be, and Margot should find a good man to make her happy. So I know Ma would be mad about what I'm doin' here even if havin' some money might help her folks take me in."

Neither man nor boy spoke for a time.

"So I guess Aunty Margot seized her chance to take me down a peg when she got here?"

"I guess so."

Adam returned to saddling Sport as he thought things through. "Listen, Jake. You'll have to stay here for a little while longer. You'll be safe and I'll take care of getting your family to come for you. And don't you worry about the Reeds. They'll be overjoyed to hear about you. Any grandparent would be."

"I suppose you'll want me to tell yer pa my story too?" The child's voice was little more than a whisper.

"My pa has come to a few of his own conclusions and it might be good if he heard the truth of this matter, but you tell him when you feel comfortable. I promise he won't be mad at you. In fact I think he'll be a little disappointed that you aren't his grandson."

Hoss walked into the barn just then with Joe not far behind. "Looks like you two been talkin'."

"We have," Adam replied as he finished tightening the cinch. "Listen you two," he said, turning to his brothers, "I've got to settle some things and would greatly appreciate you keeping an eye on Jake for a couple of days. Will you do that for him…and me?"

Little Joe answered first. "Sure, Adam. But you'll be back later won't you?"

After securing his bags to the saddle, Adam walked back to Jake. Pulling him near, he spoke quietly. "I'd have been honored to be your father. I'm sure your mother is looking down on you now and is very proud." After a ruffle of the young man's hair, Adam mounted Sport.

Hoss gently grabbed the reins below Sport's mouth, but held them firmly so Adam couldn't ride off. "So what happens now, brother?"

"I'm going to end this. I think Jake has real family near Carson City and I'll head over to speak to them. If that's true, they should be here in a day or two to take him home. I'll send word what to do if that doesn't pan out."

To answer Hoss's questioning look, Adam continued, "Jake can tell you everything, and please just keep him busy until this gets cleared up. He's a good kid and deserves better than what's he's gotten." Adam adjusted his position in the saddle. "I'm grateful for your help with the boy...and I heard a little of what you were 'saying' to Pa…even out here." He smiled down at his younger brother. "You've always been a good friend and brother, Hoss, and I appreciate that. It took guts to stand up to Pa like you did, and I appreciate that too."

His brother's last statements were a goodbye and Hoss knew it. "Should I say anythin' to Pa for you?"

"I think enough has been said between us. I'll be at the International House. You can tell him that."

Jake, Hoss and Joe followed Sport as he moved toward the edge of the yard. Adam stopped, turning to look back as he cautioned. "One last thing…don't let Margot Tanner get near Jake or take him away."

**Five**

**An End to Hostilities**

The people in town didn't know what Adam said to Margot Tanner but they thought she looked mighty uneasy as she told as many people as possible that "they" had been mistaken about Adam being the father of "that" kid. The same people had noticed that Roy Coffee was there to see her off on an eastern bound stage and figured she'd had no choice but to leave.

Jake told the other Cartwrights the truth, leaving them stunned that anyone could be as ruthless and manipulative as Margot. The brothers kept Jake busy as they had promised, and it wasn't a surprise when the Reeds pulled their wagon into the Ponderosa yard two days later to claim their grandson.

Cal and Sara Reed were heartily welcomed after explaining their mission, and after a brief, happy meeting with their grandson, Ben led the couple into the house for a private conversation. He opened with a question. "I'm assuming you spoke to my son, and have some idea of what happened with your daughter and how we ended up with Jake?"

Sara brought her hanky to her eyes as she nodded, while her husband answered, "Your son came by early yesterday with this astonishing news."

Finding her voice, Sara added, "We couldn't wait to get here." Her voice trailed into a whisper as she sighed, "It's truly astonishing to see how much Jake looks like Cal when he was younger."

Ben was pummeled by a wave of humiliation as he remembered saying much the same thing about Jake's resemblance to Adam. When Ben looked at Jake now, he saw none of the likeness he'd noted when he thought they might be related. He shook off his regret to ask, "Does this story about your daughter seem credible?"

Cal nodded. "Missy was a sweet child, but we never had another child, and with Sara and me working the ranch all the time, it was lonely for her. When she was 15 we met the Tanner family in Virginia City and found out we were shirttail relation. They had Margot, who was the same age as Missy, and the two girls got along right well. We'd see them now 'n again and they finally suggested that Missy come stay with them in town for a bit. She was 16 then."

"She couldn't wait to go, and even though we had doubts, she convinced us that she would be fine," Sara interjected. "If we had only known…"

"But we didn't, dear." Cal patted his wife's hands.

"What happened?" Ben asked.

"We thought she was fine, but toward the end of summer, we got a visit from a neighbor who'd seen Missy and Margot carrying on with men outside a saloon." The hanky made a return appearance as Sara's tears flowed again. "Of course we went to get her home, but by the time we arrived, she and Margot were gone."

"Did they tell anyone why they were leaving?" Ben was intrigued.

Cal resumed the tale. "The Tanners said they found a note from Margot one morning, saying she and Missy were going to San Francisco to work. She wrote that there was nothing for them to do here unless they wanted to be saloon girls. I read the note myself and there was nothing to indicate there was trouble. Still something didn't feel right, and I asked them to explain why the girls thought they had to run away."

"The Tanners felt they were afraid we'd have tried to talk them out of it," Sara offered. "Then they laughed and said that we probably did something a little thoughtless when we were young too." She sniffed, "Imagine saying something like that after we trusted them to look after Missy…like it was a natural part of life to take off without a word or saying goodbye."

"Did you go after her in San Francisco?" Ben asked, as a queasy feeling overtook him while he thought about situation he'd created that forced Adam to leave without a word.

Cal said, "We alerted the police there, and they searched for the girls but didn't find anything to indicate they'd ever arrived there. Neither the stage office in Virginia City nor San Francisco had memory of the girls leaving or arriving by coach. The police kept an eye open and asked around, but there are so many young women arriving there to work, they'd have been lost in the sea of them."

Sara added, "We finally assumed that if they'd made it to San Francisco, they must have gotten a ride with a supply wagon or a family heading west. But your son told us they were in Placerville, and went there from the beginnng." She smiled at Ben. "You have a wonderful son, Mr. Cartwright. The story he told us made us proud of our daughter. She took real good care of Jake, and did the best she could."

Ben's eyebrows rose as he confessed, "I haven't spoken to my son since he left here, so I'm not sure what he found out. He must have talked to Margot, but we only know the lies that she told us, and then some of the true facts from Jake."

"Let me tell you Mr. Cartwright, that Margot Tanner is some crazy woman." Cal said loudly as he slapped the upholstery of the settee. "I don't usually attribute evilness to women; they don't seem to be made that way. But our daughter was only gone from April to September, and in that time, she got herself in trouble and let that woman convince her that we wouldn't want her back in that condition." The angry, anguished man looked up at Ben. "How could that happen? How could Missy believe such lies? She had to have known we'd be worried sick…and yet Margo obviously persuaded her to believe otherwise."

Ben wondered the same thing. Margot had made her plight so real that he'd been swayed to give her the benefit of the doubt. In his heart he'd balked at her story, knowing that Adam would never abandon his child, and yet…Margot had planted seeds that had allowed him to question his son's honesty. He shivered with the memory of their conversation, and realized that Margot could be extremely convincing. He told the Reeds, "The woman is _very_ persuasive. I can attest to that." After a pause, he asked, "You never heard from Missy again?"

"No," Cal replied, "We always hoped she'd write or come back, and we kept in touch with the Tanners, but they died a few years back in a fire. They once told us that Margot had sent a note saying they were both working and happy, so they wouldn't return home. There was no return address."

Ben was stymied. "It doesn't sound like the Tanners seemed very upset by all of this."

Sara's answer was clipped with anger. "You can say that again. They actually told us that they _expected_ that Margot would up and leave someday. They called her flighty and impulsive, and then apologized half-heartedly that Missy got caught up in their daughter's plans. What a thing to admit… Why would they invite our child into such a situation?"

"Remember, Sara, they also told us that they hoped Missy might make their daughter settle down a little," Cal supplied.

"I'm so sorry for you." Ben could understand the pain the Reeds were feeling. Adam had only been missing a few days, and he felt empty inside.

"We spent all these years wondering if we'd done or said something that had sent our daughter away. It was such a shock to hear of her death, and yet we also suspected that message might come as well." Sara's tone softened, "And then your son told us why she'd gone away and that our grandson was strong and healthy, and needing us… It softened the sting to know that there was a something of Missy for us to love and care for."

"You must be proud of that son of yours, Mr. Cartwright," Cal repeated. "He told us what she tried to do to your family, but how our Jake put an end to the lies."

Sara added, "And he even gave us money that Margot said Missy had saved from her work as a seamstress so's we'd have a little extra for Jake's upbringing. What a nice man; so thoughtful and kind. I think if we'd heard this news any other way it might have left us too sad to go on. But Adam made us glad for what we still had, and not linger in what we'd lost."

The conversation shook Ben to his core, making him wonder again how he could have put Adam through the basest of inquisitions. It was hard to think that others saw the goodness in his son that he had overlooked as he'd let his mind overrule the truth of what had been right in front of him.

Jake showed his grandparents around the Ponderosa, and the two families shared a meal before the Reeds prepared to head home.

Cal took Ben aside as they prepared to leave. "Adam said that money he gave us was Missy's, and although my wife can look past the obvious, I can't. There's no way my daughter could have saved as much money as your son gave us, so I suspect it was his. He seemed almost as saddened by this as we were, and saying it was Missy's let us take it with dignity. Heaven knows we can use it. Maybe I'll be able to repay him someday."

"That does sound like something he would do," Ben agreed. "My son is very generous, and I'm sure he'll expect nothing more than that you enjoy your life with Jake."

"I asked Adam about Jake's father, and he said Margot swore that they never saw him again. Of course I want to go kill the low down son of a…the man…." Both men chuckled at Cal's sentiment. "But Adam said I should concentrate on raising Jake and he'd see what he could find out about Ned Seeley. We both figure that he's either moved on or dead by this time." He touched Ben's shoulder. "Your son is a good man, Mr. Cartwright. I'm so sorry he got pulled into this mess."

A quiet sadness lingered long after the Reed's wagon disappeared. And with time to do a little soul-searching, Ben realized that Adam had been right about everything, while he'd let his emotions taint his judgments and decisions. Adam's logical search for the truth had made it possible for Jake to reunite with his real family, and he wished he could tell his son how proud he was of him.

Hoss and Little Joe were relieved that the situation had ended well for the Reeds. But they'd seen the sadness, confusion and resolve in Adam's face when he'd left, and they knew it wasn't over in their house by a longshot. When Joe asked Hoss if he thought Adam would come back home, the middle child commented sadly, "Some things aren't so forgivable, Joe. When a bridge of trust is burned to bits, it can't be repaired without some mighty reconstruction."

Ben's thought that Adam would return home when he had time to think things through reasonably, had vanished by the fifth morning of his son's absence. He told Hoss and Little Joe at breakfast that he needed to get to town for business matters, casually adding that he planned to stop at the hotel to take Adam for lunch. "Maybe," he told the boys with a wry smile, "I was a little out of line."

Hoss nudged Joe as they watched Ben exit the house with a pronounced lightness to his step. "Maybe now that Pa can see things more clearly, we just might get that bridge building going."

Ben banged on the bell, summoning the desk clerk at the International House. "It's a beautiful day, my good fellow," he pronounced happily. "Might you tell me which room my son is occupying?"

The clerk swallowed hard as he considered the news he was about to impart. Everyone knew Ben Cartwright had a temper, and the clerk was in no mood to be on the receiving end of it.

"Well?" Ben asked again—louder this time—making the poor man jump.

"Um, I'm sorry sir."

"Don't be sorry; just tell me what room he's in!"

"Oh, my. I'm not sorry about not telling you, Mr. Cartwright. I'm sorry because your son isn't here. He checked out this morning."

Ben considered that if Adam had headed for home, he would surely have met him on his way in. "Did he say where he was headed?"

"Away, sir. He just said he was going, 'away.'"

"Did he leave anything for me; a note perhaps?"

"I'm afraid not sir."

Ben held onto the edge of the desk as his head swam. How could he have been so foolish? Why had he waited so long to tell Adam him he was sorry? He had known he was wrong from the moment the words had left his mouth. Was it as Hoss had said—that his desperation for the Cartwright line to continue was so strong that it made its way into his thoughts without him even realizing it? And had this need tainted his reasoning a few days earlier and destroyed a relationship with Adam that he'd thought could withstand anything? He finally sighed, and said, "Thank you."

Walking out into the dazzling sunlight, Ben raised a hand to his eyes, scanning the horizon hoping to catch a glance of his missing child.

Hoss had been right. A bridge had been burned and there was no foreseeable means of repair. Swinging onto Buck's back, he turned toward his place of solace and reason, pulling the reins in the direction of home.

**Burning Bridges**

**Part 2 – Adam's Story: The Search for Truth**

**One**

**Journey to Darkness**

Adam was on his way to Placerville, and his memories of the last five days rode Sport with him like an unwanted passenger. He'd made some headway into the puzzle of Margot Tanner when he'd found her in town the day the nightmare had started. That conversation had netted some useful information about Jake and Missy that seemed to prove true, but he had no doubt that this trip was sure to plunge him into Margot's web of deceit.

Five days ago Adam's life had been filled with hard work and pleasant pastimes. His relationship with his father had been solid—a bond he thought could never be broken. Everything in his life had revolved around his home and family, and now it seemed that had all been taken from him in one ugly, unfathomable lie.

He'd walked into the house that morning, and had wondered what was bothering his father so deeply that he'd looked like a bull getting ready to charge. Ben had commanded him to, "sit down," and he'd paced the room as his face had got redder. He'd finally turned to him and shouted, "Did you father a child with a woman named Margot Tanner?" Adam now had a pretty good idea of what it felt like to feel the trap door open under your feet while standing on a gallows, sporting a noose around your neck. There'd been no time to figure out what was happening. The accusation had been proclaimed like the reading of charges at a hanging, and then the bottom had fallen out from under him as he had struggled to breathe.

He'd been running on hurt and anger ever since that moment, and his mind whirled more as he remembered his conversation with his accuser when he'd found her in Virginia City.

"_Jake told us the truth, Margot, and now I need to know what this was all about."_

_She gave him a defiant look but quickly settled into an eerie meekness. "Listen," she pleaded, "I know it was wrong, but I was desperate." She tried to elicit pity with a few forced tears, but as she sensed that her ploy was useless, her true-self resurfaced and her face became an ugly sneer. "But I suppose that's something Adam Cartwright has never experienced."_

_He gripped both her arms, forcing her to face him. "What do you know about what I've experienced? And even more importantly, what has that got to do with what you tried to pull?"_

_She sighed deeply as she rolled her eyes. "I needed cash, and figured your pa was an easy target after I heard him whining about not having grandkids yet. It wasn't like I could go to a regular bank and get money, so I figured I'd make a withdrawal from the Cartwright reserve."_

"_But why go to such extremes? You could have gotten in touch with Jake's grandparents, and then taken a job to get back on your feet."_

_Her lips curled in derision. "You think you've got it all figured out, Mr. High-and-Mighty! A girl like me isn't likely to find any job making money that would keep me 'on my feet,' if you know what I mean."_

_Margot's comment stung like a slap and Adam was in no mood to be lectured by an extortionist. "Perhaps we fill the roles we aspire to." He saw her flinch and knew he'd hit a nerve. "Let's just work at telling the truth so that I can get Jake to his family. I really don't care to talk to you, but find it a necessity if I want to help the boy. Here's the only deal I'll offer you: Answer me truthfully and I won't press charges for what you tried to do. Keep dancing around it and you're going to jail."_

_Margot pulled free of Adam's grasp but didn't try to run away. "What do you want to know?"_

In the next few minutes, he'd found out that Margot and Missy had been in Placerville since leaving Virginia City, and that Missy had worked as a seamstress there while raising Jake. He'd also managed to get the name of Jake's father and a few other details before he'd escorted Margot to Sheriff Coffee's office where he'd laid out the facts for Roy, and then made Margot agree to get out of town and never come back.

Adam shivered again as he sat up and scrubbed his hands across his face. It was the conversation with Margot in Roy's office that haunted him most, and had pushed him toward a decision.

"_Answer a question for me. Jake said that you always held a grudge against me. But I hardly knew you, so what did I do?"_

"_Nothin'," she spat._

_He laughed contemptuously. "This hardly feels like nothin'. You came back here and spread gossip about you told my pa that I fathered a child—that wasn't even yours—and tried to get money from him. I'd say this was a whole lot of something!"_

_Her tone turned venomous. "You know what this is about."_

"_No…I don't; you'll have to tell me."_

"_Remember back before you went away to school, you saw me and Missy at the general store? I'd always heard how much you liked to read, so I went up to you and said that I was looking for a book of poetry. I asked if you had any suggestion, so's you'd think I was smart, even though I had no interest in reading that trash. You perked right up and stood close behind me while we looked through the books on Cass's shelf. You brushed my neck a few times as you reached over my shoulder, and I just knew that meant you cared for me."_

"_I vaguely remember recommending a book to you, but that's the extent of it."_

"_Ha," she snorted, "you say that now, but back then I knew exactly what you were doing. I bought that book, and the first poem was, She Walks in Beauty. It was so wonderful that I knew you wanted me to have it so I'd know how you felt about me."_

_He was at a loss. "What are you talking about?"_

"_Stop it, Adam!" she hollered. "Stop denying it. I knew you loved me and that was your way of telling me. You wanted me to know that I walked in beauty, just like the woman in that poem. I expected you'd show up before you went away to school—to propose to me and take me with you. Jeb Smyth had that party at his house, and he said you'd be there. You were supposed to come and get down on your knee and say that you loved me and wanted me for all time."_

Even now Adam's eyes widened and he drew a sharp breath remembering the plagued look on Margot's face as she'd told him these things. He blew his breath out in a low whistle just as he'd done a few days earlier as he'd replied, _"You're insane."_ He'd figured those two words would put an end to her raving, but Margot hadn't stopped.

"_Don't say that! I know you're protecting your old man. He probably got wind of what you were planning and didn't want me in your fancy family. I always knew that he didn't let you come to the party that day. That's why I tried to get the money out of him. I thought he should pay me for what he did to me back then."_

"_My father didn't stop my plans for us to be together because I had none! All I did was suggest a book. I never loved you—can't say I ever thought about you again. You took a simple conversation and constructed a fairy tale around it. And what's worse is that it seems you're still living in that fantasy."_

_She went quiet before finishing her thoughts. "You're a son-of-a-bitch, Adam Cartwright. I reckoned it was your pa that messed things up for us." She gave a howling laugh. "But now I see that you thought you were too good for me too or you'd have come for me even if your pa didn't approve. I love you, and I think if you'd stop to think about it, you'd remember that you love me too."_ _Her eyes turned dark, as her mouth narrowed to a snakelike slit. "I expect that you'll see the error of your ways before you leave this earth, and you'll regret the way you done me wrong."_

She'd reached for him then, clawing at his shoulders—trying to draw him into an embrace while she'd professed her love, but he'd moved her arms away and left Roy's office without another word. The sheriff had followed him out, saying, "That is one crazy woman. You're sure you don't want me to charge her with something?"

He knew that Roy had gotten a telegram back from Placerville and there were no warrants against Margot, so Adam hadn't wanted to put his family through a trial in Virginia City where her insane lies might find an interested audience or start a wildfire of gossip. "Just get her out of here, so I can be done with this. I'm going out to the Reeds now, and once that's done, I can forget Margot Tanner completely."

Roy had replied, "Sure, if that's what you want. The telegram from Sheriff Andrews in Placerville was careful to say that there were no 'formal' charges, but that makes me think he I probably knows things informally. Still, I think you're smart to put this all behind you.

It was Roy's words about that informal knowledge that had stuck in his mind as he'd ridden out to the Reed ranch, and had finally convinced Adam that he might have a responsibility after all—maybe not to his pa, Jake, Margot, or the Reeds—but to himself. With an innocent gesture, he'd inadvertently become involved in something strange and unpredictable that had been growing for 12 years. He had to know if anything that had been said, implied or lied about over those years might still come back to harm him or his family.

He'd gone from there out to the Reed property and he'd realized that Margot's comments to the boy about his grandparents needing extra cash to care for him had been valid, even if she hadn't known that to be true.

The family lived on a decent-sized homestead, but they were obviously struggling. Having another mouth to feed wasn't going to make their life any easier. For someone who knew ranching from the ground up, Adam had spotted the problems quickly. The land had too few grazing acres to feed any amount of cattle, and although they had a few cash crops growing, the soil didn't seem fertile enough to sustain them to maturity. The house and barn needed upkeep, and the equipment scattered around the yard was in varying states of disrepair.

He'd known that Margot never intended to use any money that she might have tricked his father into giving her to help this family, but Adam had given the Reeds the information he'd found, and the cash he'd removed from his own bank account, saying it was what Missy had saved up over the years. Adam knew Cal Reed hadn't believed a word of it, but in the end he'd accepted.

**Two**

**Ashes, Ashes, the Bridge Falls Down**

Adam had waited at the International House to make sure that Margot had really left town, and had remained there a couple more days to sort out what he needed to do to put this situation behind him. He'd awakened this morning ready to put his plans into action.

The thought of leaving without speaking to his father had left Adam uneasy and saddened. He had come to some understanding in the matter, but since his father had made no effort to contact him in town, he'd had to assume that Ben Cartwright had declared the breach between them irreversible. He got up, packed his things, paid his bill, and mentioning only that he was going away, set off on a journey for the truth.

His trip was taking him across the southeastern section of the Ponderosa to access a path along the shore of Tahoe that would shorten his trip to Placerville by several miles. There was a moment where he slowed Sport at a fork in the road: one branch leading to his destination, the other toward his home. He hesitated there as Sport's natural inclination pulled in the direction of the house. In the end he moved the reins to the left and headed away, even as his heart had longed to follow where Sport's instincts had drawn him.

**Three**

**An Unholy Tale**

Adam arrived in Placerville after dark and took a room for a few restless hours of sleep before heading to the jail in hopes of discovering what had been hidden between the lines of the telegram to Roy Coffee.

"Sit down, Mr. Cartwright." Sheriff Andrews indicated the only available chair as he began shuffling through the stack of papers on his desk. "I expected I might get a visit from someone out of Virginia City after that wire about Margot Tanner." The paper shuffling continued until he found what he wanted. "Ah, here they are." He sat, angling himself on the corner of his desktop and smiled at his visitor. "Are you one of the Cartwrights from the Ponderosa?"

"Ben Cartwright is my father. I'm the oldest son."

The sheriff nodded, giving Adam a quizzical grin. "Seems I heard something about Margot being engaged to one of the Cartwrights. Would that be you?"

"No…but I talked to her once when I was a teenager, and she's got some fairy tale going on in her mind that there was a romantic connection between us."

"No need to say more, son." Sheriff Andrews laughed as he reached to pat Adam on the shoulder. "Far less acquaintance with Margot Tanner has brought far worse consequences for other men—or so I've started to hear. What's she done up in Virginia City?"

"Lies and extortion to start with, but I have the uneasy feeling that's there's probably a lot more I need to know about." Adam sighed. "I'm hoping you can help me figure out what she's been up to the last 12 years."

Andrews handed over the small stack of papers he'd removed from the pile on his desk. "When Roy sent me that telegram, I went back over these, but there's nothing in there that I could have made a case with."

Adam paged through, glancing at the handwritten statements about Margot. "There's a lot of serious accusations here…but I assume there's no proof?"

"That's it exactly." Andrews took the pages from Adam explaining, "No one had the nerve to say anything about her when she was here. I'm sure there was always some thought and conjecture, but no one wanted to point a finger. Once she left, the tales started flowing in as people tried to get the guilt off their chests."

"Guilt?" Adam was confused. "Why would they feel guilt?"

"They all knew something wasn't right with her. Many of the girls she worked with knew what she was pulling, but couldn't say anything. Some of these people had been pulled into her schemes, so they were afraid they might be charged with something too. Most of the men she threatened or blackmailed wouldn't say anything. Even the old woman Missy worked for had her suspicions. After Margot pulled out, the sluicegates opened with information, but there were no facts to follow up on, and so nothing I could do about it."

The sheriff stopped for a moment before remembering what had bothered him at the time Margot left. "Miss Tanner took off with Missy's boy. She and his mother were friends and they lived in that house together all the while they were here. The kid even called her Aunty Margot so we couldn't rightly say that she couldn't take him. Was he with her in Virginia City?"

Adam nodded. "Margot went to my father saying that Jake was hers…and mine, with the intent of getting him to pay her for her trouble in raising a Cartwright grandchild."

Andrews gave Adam a sidelong glance. "I thought you said you barely knew her. How could she try to pull that?"

"She waited until I was gone before going to my father with a story. I got back earlier than she planned and put an end to the lie."

"The kid played along with it…I mean with her being his mother and all? The boy and Missy were nice people. Did you know her too?"

"I did see her with Margot a few times. As for Jake, I don't think he had a lot of choice in playing along. But since Margot wasn't around when I got back, he told me the truth. It does seem like there's a lot of fear and resignation to doing whatever Margot requires when she's present. With the information Jake gave me, I was able to find his grandparents; he's with them now. They were overjoyed to find out they had a grandson."

"That's a relief. So what'd you do about Margot?"

Adam paused before answering. "I let her go with an escort to the stage from Sheriff Coffee." His eyebrows arched as his face took on a sour look, "But I have a bad feeling that I haven't seen the last of her. I came here to find out a little more of what's she's said and done. Maybe that'll give me a better idea of what she's capable of doing."

The sheriff rose and motioned for Adam to follow him outside. "The best way to do that is to talk to the people of this town. They'll be all too willing to tell you about the Tanner woman."

Pointing left, he indicated a number of buildings on the far side of the street. "Margot worked at every saloon in Placerville, so start anywhere and work your way through until you can't stand hearing about her no more." He laughed and pointed the opposite direction. Missy and Margot had a small place just outside the city, but there's a new renter and not much that you'd find there now. At the edge of town, that-away, is a seamstress, name of Adelaide Barker. She's an older lady who Missy worked for the entire time she was here. She can give you an earful that will make your skin crawl…as long as you can stomach her weak tea and tendency to get lost in the telling from time to time."

"I think I can handle that." Adam smiled.

Sheriff Andrews looked upward trying to put his thoughts into words. "I can't say I've ever met a woman like Margot Tanner. She could be sweet one minute, then flying off in a rage the next. If you ever caught her in a lie, she'd act like it was you who was daft, then look you in the eye and lie even more until you couldn't make out just exactly what her position was on anything. She'd start with one story, then veer off and just as quickly come back to the original rendition. Funny thing was I swear she believed everything she was saying was true, no matter how far afield it had gotten. Strangest thing I ever did experience."

Adam nodded. "I think I've experienced that as well." Tipping his hat, he renewed his thanks and set off for the nearest saloon.

**Four**

**All the News That's Fit to Tell**

By evening Adam was in his fifth saloon and had heard so many confessions that his mind was numb and balking at being made to listen to any more. All he'd had to do was tell the barkeep in each place why he was there and then head to quiet place at the back of the saloon. Before long, there'd been a steady stream of penitents making their way to his table. All confessors had a similar theme: they'd known or suspected what Margot was up to, but were afraid of her wrath. He'd been unable to grant absolution to those seeking to alleviate their guilt, but he'd listened, and in that he had allowed them to expose the sense of evil that had cloaked the town when she'd lived there.

Most had told of trusting Margot…at first. She'd treated them as a friend to draw them in, but then she'd manipulated their goodwill, pressing them into assisting in schemes against those she'd felt had disrespected her or thwarted her plans. They'd admitted that they'd had some idea of what she'd been capable of doing, yet she had the ability to be so charming that they'd been deeply involved in her plots before they'd understood how she was using them. That fact had made them unable to expose her deeds to the authorities for fear of bringing themselves into the backwash.

His reason for coming to Placerville was to find information about what Margot might have said about him—not what she'd done to others—but the stories he'd heard put him on edge. Margot Tanner was clearly more deranged than he'd suspected, and he knew he was going to have to follow her into the dark world that she'd created. The stories he'd heard so far confirmed his suspicion that he'd only seen the beginning, not the end of her.

There'd been one interesting, and informative contact during his day, though. He'd met a woman named, Monica at the Gold Nugget Saloon—the watering hole that had first hired Margot—who'd given him the only information directly connection Margot to him.

As he sipped his shot of whiskey and waited for the next person to make their way to his table, he let his mind drift back to that earlier conversation.

"_So you're Adam Cartwright," Monica smiled as she took a seat next to him at the table. "You know, I didn't believe that you existed."_

_His questioning look brought his brows together at the bridge of his nose. "Well you can poke me to be sure, but I've been around for nearly 30 years. What made you think I wasn't real?"_

"_When Margot first got here, she said she left her hometown because her friend was in a family way, and she came along so Missy wouldn't be alone. That part of her story seemed true." She smiled, but then her eyes took on a devilish look as her lips curled in a grin, "Shoot, if I'd known you were real…and this handsome, I'd have come looking for you myself."_

_He shook his head and grinned back. "So what do I have to do with this story?"_

"_She said that the saddest part was that she'd left behind a fiancé…an Adam Cartwright, the son of a rich rancher." Monica winked, "That true mister? Are you rich?"_

_Adam snapped, "My father does own a large ranch." His voice calmed as he finished, "But I assure you that I was never Margot Tanner's fiancé."_

_She tipped her head and stared at him with a puzzled look before continuing her story. "When we'd ask about her intended, Margot said that he was in school back East and would come for her when he got home. But after a number of years, I started to tease her, saying you'd had to be the stupidest man alive to be in school all that time!" They both laughed. "I wasn't quite so scared of Miss Margot as others were, so I poked away at her whenever I got the chance. She eventually said you'd come home and were getting things ready for the two of you, but then," Monica gave a deep, false sniff and frowned in a mocking way, "she gave us the sad news that your pa didn't approve of the marriage." The teasing tone left as she looked him in the eye, "I'm suspecting none of that was true?"_

_A resigned sigh preceded his thought. "As I'm finding out with this woman, there's always some truth, isn't there. I did go to school in Boston, and came home again. If that alone makes me her fiancé, then I stand guilty."_

_Monica laid her hand on Adam's arm as she leaned close, "I never believed a word of it. Any self-respecting man would run as fast and far from that…woman…as his legs could carry him." She leaned over and breathed into his ear, as her playful manner reappeared, "And concerning those legs of yours…I think I might like to have my own legs wrapped around them for an hour or two sometime soon."_

_Adam's heart gave a double beat at her suggestion. She was a pretty woman, and he was so tired, lonely and confused that for a brief moment, the thought of spending a few hours tangled in some mindless activity with her produced a deep aching need. But he shrugged it off with a shiver. This was neither the time nor place to let his mind—or body—get sidetracked._

_He winked at her, reflecting her mischievousness, "I've got too much on my mind right now, but perhaps another time?"_

"_Didn't expect you would, honey," She laughed. "The good ones never do."_

As he drew himself back into the present, the same deep shiver of desire returned. He moved past it as a wide yawn distorted his face and he reached upward to stretch his back. The momentary position change caused his head to swim and sent his stomach contents into vertical motion. A few deep breaths helped stop the spinning, and the nausea settled as he stayed still. The upset to his equilibrium made him remember that he'd been at this marathon of inquiry since mid-morning, and hadn't stopped to eat or move except when walking from one saloon to the next.

He'd sipped decent whiskey and water at each stop, but the acidic mix he'd just regurgitated indicated his need for something in his stomach besides diluted alcohol. It was dark already, and the saloon was filling with patrons who were intent on having a good time rather than needing to get something off their chests. He'd heard enough to understand the pattern of Margot's behavior, and decided he'd be best off getting a bite to eat and calling it a day.

He planned to spend the next day with Adelaide Barker, the seamstress Missy had worked for, and he suspected that meeting with might bring valuable information for both himself and the Reeds. Older people often had a sense about things that was right on the money because they paid attention to what others rushed past. Since Adelaide had observed Missy and Margot in action for many years, Adam knew there would be a nice return for anyone willing to mine her memories.

The food at the cafe where he dined was fairly priced and filling, yet unsatisfying. The Cartwright family was expected to be around the dinner table in the evening, and while Adam coveted solitude most times, he was used to conversation and even the spirited disagreements aired during a meal. Eating alone left him as unfilled as an insufficient portion of food, so he hurried through his meal and headed to his room to make notes about his day.

**Five**

**The Lady in the Shadows**

He'd barely made it through the hotel doors, when the desk clerk came running over and pointed to a dark corner of the lobby. "A woman's been waiting to see you, Mr. Cartwright. She's over there."

Adam saw a petite young woman rise from the shadows and walk toward him. She wore a printed cotton dress with a heavy shawl pulled tightly around her shoulders as if the air in the room was chilly when in fact it was a clement evening, and the hotel was warm enough that beads of perspiration dotted her forehead like dew.

Her voice was shy and quiet, "Are you Mr. Cartwright?"

"Yes, ma'am." He removed his hat and motioned her toward a quiet corner of the lobby. "What may I do for you?"

"Monica told me that you was in town asking questions about Margot Tanner. She said I should come talk with you."

He gave her a kindly smile. "Do you have something you'd like to tell me?"

She nodded, but said nothing.

"Did you know her?"

Her hands covered her eyes as she began to cry silently. Adam took the handkerchief from his pocket and moved her hands away to dry the tears. "Tell me about it."

She managed to whisper, "You'll think I'm an evil woman, just like her."

He touched her chin, gently raising her face to look into her eyes. "I assure you that isn't true. Just tell me the facts. There'll be no judgment."

A small smile flitted across her lips before she took a deep breath and stepped into her tale. "I lived with some neighbors after my folks died, but when I was 17, they said I was old enough to make my own way. Mining was bringing a lot of people into Placerville, so they brought me to town and got me hired on at the Grub Stake saloon. That's where I met her." Her cheeks flushed pink. "By the way, my name's Maribelle, but folks call me Belle."

Adam sat back more comfortably, sensing that his companion had started to relax. "It's a pleasure, Belle."

Her blush rose again as she resumed her story. "That saloon was a dark, natty place, but at first I thought it was fun dressin' up in them fancies, and didn't mind servin' drinks or sittin' on the men's knees to get them to up their tab. For the most part, them fellers were nice, and I was earning a enough to feel good about myself. But then I was told there was more to the job…that the miners were lonesome folk who needed a little more than I was givin' them, and their tabs could be higher if they paid for a room and services upstairs."

"I understand, Belle. Is this is where Margot enters your story?"

She nodded. "At first she were real nice to me and explained things so's I wouldn't be so scared. Eventually she said she liked me enough that she were gonna teach me her tricks."

"Tricks?" Adam's forehead rose.

"Honestly, Mr. Cartwright, it weren't so bad what we was doin', and it made things easier…for a while anyway. Margot said she had a system for choosing men in the bar to be friendly with. We looked for men we didn't know, and weren't drifters or miners. We went after the ones in suits who'd pull out a roll of cash. Margot called them, 'pillar of the community' types."

Her blush went from pink to maroon, but Adam knew she'd push on just as the others had done earlier. It seemed that people could only find peace after hearing the insanity spoken aloud.

"Margot knew the young bucks and regular drinkers could hold their liquor. But these pillars were normally in bed by nine, and not used to drinking as hard and heavy as we pushed them to do. They were drowsy by the time we suggested they join us upstairs for our special service, and when they got there we'd keep them drinking and make them comfortable enough to doze off. What amazed me most about these men was that they'd talk about their wife and kids, and where they lived and worked, all while they was payin' me for the carnal favors they 'thought' they was about to get."

His laugh rang out in the quiet lobby. "Do I understand this correctly? Did these 'pillars' get so drunk that all they did was fall asleep?"

Belle smiled for the first time. "We didn't steal their money…then…and they didn't know that they'd missed out on anything. When one of us hooked a pillar, we took them to a room and wait. Then the other of us would come in to help get the guy undressed and under the covers. We'd do somethin' else until they rousted a little and then we'd mess up our hair and look breathless, telling them how wonderful they'd been."

"I don't think there's much for you to feel badly about, Belle. It sounds like they left you feeling rested _and_ pretty good about themselves."

Her eyes darkened as she pulled into herself again, wrapping the shawl tighter against the chill of her memories. "That was the beginning, mister, not the end. It's the last part that keeps me up at night."

Belle took another deep breath. "Margot's friend Missy had that baby, Jake, and Margot took care of the little guy while his mama worked durin' the day. Now remember how I told you that these men gave us information, and what they didn't volunteer, we'd ask about real sweet-like. Margot kept a book with all their names, how much she thought they were worth, and where she could get hold of them. She wrote a lot of letters in the first year of that baby's life."

"Letters?"

"She wrote to her 'pillars' sayin' that her union with them had produced an heir, and that if he didn't send money for his upbrinin', she was gonna bring the child to his nice fancy house to meet his upstanding wife and family. She sent the same sort of letters to the men I'd been with, saying I'd had a child."

Adam sat back, stunned. "And this worked?"

"Most times. Some just sent money, while others came storming back to Placerville demanding to see the child. Margot would show them Jake, and she always had a suitcase packed in case they still objected, and she'd say she was goin' back home with him. That'd make 'em pay up real quick."

"I'm assuming Margot did this just once…she didn't continue the blackmail?"

"Just once, like you say. She said it was too dangerous to keep pulling it on the same man. But that first time, she usually got something out of everyone."

"She couldn't have kept it up once Jake got old enough to talk either."

"She made good money that year writing to both her men and mine. You know, I'm an uneducated woman and even I knowed it took some months to produce a child. Yet some of these men hadn't been gone more than a few weeks when she'd send out the letters. How could they not know that it was a lie?"

Adam reached for her hand as he smiled. "That's the sad thing, Belle. Men who get caught in a compromising situation aren't always good at arithmetic, and would pay to remain pillars of the community, just as she figured."

"So I'm just as bad as Margot." It was a statement, not a question.

He chewed on his lip as he considered his response. "On the surface, that seems true. But there's no way you're like Margot Tanner. There must be a reason you played along."

She nodded. "I hated what Margot was doin' and told her so. She just laughed that crazy heehaw of hers and said that if I'd say anything, we'd both go to jail." Belle laughed dryly. "I'm glad to say I never made a cent on that whole mess, yet she would have turned me in and lied about it bein' my idea—I knew that for certain. She said the money was her fee for protectin' me from the riffraff that I would have ended up with if she hadn't helped me."

"Something tells me that still wouldn't have kept you from doing the right thing. What happened?"

"Someone died, Mr. Cartwright… and I thought I would too if I crossed her."

He sat up straight, jolted by her answer. "Are you saying that you think Margot killed someone?"

"I'm saying that Margot got people to do things _for_ her."

He leaned forward, his brows knit in concern. "Who died?"

"One fella she tried to get money from made a stink and went to the sheriff. Margot was questioned, but of course she said the man was lying to get back at her for not doin' the awful things he'd wanted from her. But the whole commotion ended when the man doin' the accusin' was found dead on the side of the road. A robbery, they said; but I knew that 'robbery' got Margot out of a mess, so it was pretty convenient. In the end, Margot got fired from that saloon and she went quiet for a time."

"And you got free of her then?"

She smiled shyly. "I had a nice man get sweet on me, and I married him and got away from here. We live outside town. Margot let me be when there was nothin' more I could do for her, and I figured I'd be safe…if I kept my mouth shut."

Adam breathed deeply. "I've heard a lot today, but this…" he shook his head sadly, "is different."

Belle stood. "I have to go now. If you talk to Margot, never call her crazy. Seemed nothing set her off like that word did."

He thanked her, and walked her toward the door after making sure she had a safe place to go. "Would you ever testify against Margot?"

She pulled her shawl so tightly around her that the yarn looked taught enough to pop. "If you can get proof of what she done, and would be there when she went on trial; I could. I think we was all just hoping for someone to come along who will stand up to her without meltin' in pure fear. You might just be that person."

**Six**

**We Need a Hero**

Adam was feeling so tired by the time Belle left that the thought of climbing the flight of stairs to his room seemed daunting. His senses perked up as he neared his door, and found it slightly ajar. He squinted through the crack but couldn't see inside, and finally made his way into the room with his pistol drawn.

As the door swung open, he heard a familiar voice admonish him. "Put your gun down before you shoot someone, Mr. Cartwright."

Stepping fully into the room, he gave a tired, half-smile. "Miss Monica, I thought we had said goodbye earlier."

"So we did, Mr. Cartwright. But you might change your mind once you know why I'm here."

His fatigue overtook him again as he sank into a chair. "Listen, I think I owe you a debt of thanks for sending Belle to see me. But my thanks are all I can offer you. I just need a good night's sleep," He sighed deeply as muttered, "It feels like I haven't slept in weeks." He raised his head again to meet her gaze as she stood over him. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'd like you to leave."

"I know you're tired, Mr. Cartwright. I can see the darkness under your eyes and the way you slump down whenever you think no one is looking. I have a sense about people and here's what I've concluded about you." She moved behind her host, removed his hat, and used her fingers to make circular paths of pressure on his forehead and scalp. "Judging by the packed laundry bag waiting by the door, I suspect you've been away from home a number of days already. And since you don't live _that far _away from Placerville, I have to wonder why."

Her hands moved to Adam's cheeks as she softly kneaded his jawline, eliciting a soft moan as she worked back toward his ears. "I know who you are and who your father is, and had to wonder at the verbal and facial bronco busting you did when you spoke of himthis morning. I also know that the Ponderosa isn't just a ranch, it's a _family _ranch, and I suspect that whatever Margot did to you put a wedge between you and your father…and it's eating you up inside. I've heard that when you poke one Cartwright, you poke 'em all; and you better watch out. That's why you're here. You need to know why your family got poked by Margot Tanner."

She stopped and walked around to the front of the chair to see his face. "Am I close? Whatever happened at your home has kept you awake, and searching for a truth that's going to lead you to places and circumstances you had no idea existed. I wondered what you were up to when you came into my saloon this morning. After talking to you and seeing how kind you were to the others who came by, I think you might be the one we've been waiting for."

"Belle said something like that too," he said gruffly as he sat up straighter. "How can all of you been waiting for me?"

"So many people wondered how they got caught up in Margot's web, Mr. Cartwright, and when she left, some of us went to the sheriff with our theories and suspicions. I'm sure you've read those complaints already." She reached forward to touch Adam's shoulders. "But you need to know more because you've been wounded badly by her, and unlike those you spoke with who'd participated in her schemes, you are innocent of any complicity. More was taken from you than you can comprehend, and you need to know why. You're going to ride this to the end of the trail. I can see that in your tired eyes."

"If you see how tired I am, then please leave so I can get some sleep."

"You won't sleep, Mr. Cartwright. At least not any better than you have lately, so relax and allow me to give you the best night's rest of your life."

He shrugged her hands from his shoulders. "I said I don't want this."

"You'll change your mind, Mr. Cartwright. Trust me. It would be best if you disrobed and got onto the bed, but I can do it while you straddle a chair if you'd rather."

Adam shot up, pointing to the open door. "Go!"

She laughed loudly while raising her arms in surrender. "Let me tell you why I'm here before you toss me out."

This had been one of the strangest days of his life and Adam had no doubt it was about to get even stranger. As he took a good look at his guest, he registered that she was wearing street clothes rather than her shiny getup from the morning. She looked fresh and polished in a riding skirt and jacket. "I thought you were pretty clear as to why you were here."

"You're not even close. Let me tell you a little about myself. I don't work at the saloon where you met me, I own it. My late husband and I opened it around the same time Margot came to town. Marcus had made a lot of money mining, and had said that we'd start mining for a different kind of gold here. That's why Margot wasn't as threatening to me. In an odd way she respected that I could run a saloon—while hating me for doing it. I actually hired her…and fired her…more than once. She always came back full of repentance and good will, and I admit she could charm people when she had a mind to. But soon she'd drift into that dark place of hers, and get maudlin about you."

While Monica was speaking, she turned Adam's chair around and made him straddle it. He stared in interest as she removed her jacket and rolled up her sleeves, exposing her well-muscled arms.

.

"I got off track there," she chuckled as she brought a pillow from the bed and tucked it under Adam's chin. "My husband died some years back and then I got sick. When I didn't get better, I went to San Francisco to see a young Swedish doctor who was related to Per Heinrich Ling, and worked with George Mezger. Those names are important because they are the men who developed what I'm about to do to you. It turned out that I wasn't sick—just weary. The clinic doctors got me to eat better, exercise, and prescribed massage to help me relax. It made me a new woman, Mr. Cartwright. I took lessons from some of the massage practitioners while I was there, and returned a few times to improve my skills."

She moved behind Adam and placed her hands on the base of his skull and started to knead the tight muscles in his neck; working down toward his shoulders. "Massage has been performed for thousands of years, Mr. Cartwright."

"I'm aware of that. Didn't Hippocrates reference it?"

"He did. The word massage means something akin to kneading dough." She began to work his shoulders with both her hands. "Sort of feels that way, doesn't it?"

His sigh became a groan as she pushed harder into the knotted muscles of his upper back. "I'm not sure how dough feels, but this feels good." He turned to look at her. "But if this is what you had in mind, why all the innuendo?"

"Mr. Cartwright," she began but was interrupted.

"Call me Adam. This 'Mr. Cartwright' stuff is getting tedious."

"Sure…Adam…I played with your mind a little to see what you were made of." She kept kneading as she explained. "You seemed like the real thing when I talked to you, but you can never tell with men." She laughed, "But then I suppose you were thinking the same thing about me. To put it bluntly, I needed to know if you were thinking above your neck or below your waist."

He laughed, "Did I pass the test?"

"I'm here, aren't I? I felt you were as true as they come, and after asking around at the other saloons you visited, my opinion was upheld. That's why I had Belle come see you. I thought I could trust you not to make her feel worse than she already does. I also know that you carry this new mission heavy in your heart, and on your shoulders. I figured if I could help you sleep tonight, you'd be better for the journey."

He leaned into her hands as she began kneading the muscles in his upper back.

"You know that some of the Indian shamans from around these parts practice a form of massage."

His voice sounded far away even to him as he uttered, "That's interesting."

She stopped again. "If you trust me, I'd ask that you remove your shirt so I can use a little oil and press more deeply."

Adam's shirt was on the floor in the time it took to yank it free and pull it over his head.

Monica warmed oil in her hands before digging deep into shoulders and upper back. "After I got pretty good working with Dr. Ling's people, I came back here and offered my services to a few of the older ladies with arthritis and back problems. They were skeptical at first, but pretty soon they were singing my praises. Now I don't have enough time to get to everyone who needs my service. I admit that I keep one of the saloon bouncers around when I work on the miners who think it might be just a prelude to something more. But it's gotten better as they've experienced the benefits." She felt Adam's chuckle rumble through his rib cage.

Her circular movements became elongated and firm as she explained, "This is called effleurage—gliding strokes that relax the long muscles in your back…"

Early morning sun was streaming into the room as Adam woke the next morning. He stretched and realized that he'd slept soundly and without the dreams that had been tormenting him for the last week. "She was right," he muttered while arching his back like a cat. "I slept like a baby."

He whistled as he washed up and prepared for the day while thinking about the woman he'd been with the previous evening. Monica was fresh and real—and seemed to know things about him that he wasn't even sure about. He wanted to see her again and scribed a quick note with an invitation to dinner. On the way out of the hotel, he found a messenger and paid him to take it to her, and then headed to his meeting with Adelaide.

**Seven**

**A Little Weak Tea and Sympathy**

Adam waved to the tiny older woman who stood on the porch as he made his way toward her house. As he reached her gate she called out, "Mr. Cartwright?"

He extended his hand in greeting as he climbed the steps. "You must be Adelaide?" The hand she laid in his was gnarled and deformed by arthritis, so he raised it to his lips for a kiss. "I'm most pleased to make your acquaintance."

She giggled. "Well, aren't you the sweetest man. I haven't had my hand kissed like that since I left New Orleans when I was a tad younger than I am now." Moving toward the door she encouraged her guest, "Come in, come in. I have coffee boiling, so sit there on the sofa and I'll get it."

The smell of burning coffee assaulted Adam's nostrils as soon as he'd walked through the door. "Might I lend you a hand?" After a moment of consideration, he added, "Honestly, I really don't need anything to drink right now… maybe we could just talk."

Adelaide peeked around the kitchen doorway, her gray bun bobbing on the top of her head as she laughed. "Don't be silly. Every man wants a cup of coffee." Her voice became apologetic, "I always have tea so I haven't made coffee in years, but it's been boiling for some time now, so it should be done. When I got your nice note yesterday saying you'd be stopping by, I figured I should provide you with the beverage you'd prefer." She disappeared into the kitchen again, and called out, "Perhaps you _could_ help me with this tray, Mr. Cartwright. These hands of mine don't work like they used to."

He jumped to assist her, bringing the tray of strong-smelling coffee, a pot of tea and a few cookies to the coffee table. His heart sank as the dark brew slid into his cup with less fluidity than some axle grease he'd used in his lifetime. He took a small sip—burning his tongue—as he tried to keep from grimacing, and uttered his thanks for Adelaide's thoughtfulness. With the pleasantries of hospitality completed, he began, "Please call me Adam, Ma'am."

"I will…if you call me Addy."

"It's a promise."

"You want to hear about Margot Tanner."

"Yes, but first I'd like to hear about Missy. I met Jake, and found his grandparents, but there wasn't much information I could give them about the years their daughter was gone. I think they'd like to know more, as would I."

"Where should I start?"

Adam took another sip of the sludge, smiled and said, "Let's start at the beginning. Tell me whatever you can think of."

Addy removed a folded sheet of paper from her pocket and handed it to him. "I think you should see this first. It was tacked to my door this morning."

He held it up to the sunlight slicing through Addy's immaculately clean windows and read, "Don't be talkin about Margot Tanner if you know what's good fer ya." He sat back, a puzzled look contorting his face. "This sounds threatening. Perhaps I should leave."

The old woman grinned from ear to ear. "You'll do no such thing. Whoever wrote that has something to hide and I'm tired of all the hiding that's been going on. I'm going to tell you some things that will make your hair curl." She smiled, nodding toward her guest. "Or at least make it curl more than it already does."

Adam smiled as he avowed, "I can't proceed if it puts you in danger."

"No need to worry, son. I'm an old woman and my time here on earth is nearing its end. I doubt anyone would have the nerve to hasten it along. And it lets me know that even though Margot is out of town, her lackeys remain." She stood to refill Adam's cup, not noticing his frown. "How about I just start talking and you ask questions as you need to."

"That's sound fine."

Taking a deep breath, she launched into her story. "Margot and Missy came to town with enough money in their purses to get a room, and worked odd jobs at first: Margot at the hotel and Missy at the boarding house where they lived. But Missy was only allowed to work there until her impending motherhood became noticeable."

Adam nodded. "And then she came here?"

"Yes. She stopped one day, saying she was out for a walk when she noticed my seamstress sign and asked if I needed help." She raised her arthritic hands for emphasis. "These weren't so bad back then. But they were already making it hard to use a scissor and do fine needlework, so I had her sew a few things to see how well she did. Truth was over the years, Missy proved to be a more gifted seamstress and pattern maker than I ever was, and we did very well together. She and Margot rented a house down the road a piece, and Missy came here every day to help. After a few years, we got Monica to show some of our hand-made dresses and finery in a small millinery store she'd opened, and before long we had more work than we could handle."

Hoping to bring the conversation back to the topic he was interested in, Adam interjected. "What did Missy tell you about her pregnancy?"

Addy laughed. "She tried to say she'd been married and her husband had died, but lordy, the girl was such a bad liar that I told her that the fix she was in could happen to the best of people, and that if she promised to tell me the truth in all things, I'd give her a job and a safe place to bring her baby when it came."

"You sound like a forward thinking woman, Addy. Missy was fortunate to meet you."

She winked. "I told you it can happen to the best of people, and that's all the more I'm saying about it."

Adam smiled. "How did Missy and Margot get along?"

"It was fine, at least at first. I genuinely thought that she had a good friend in Margot, who seemed to have left a lot behind to help her out."

"What about later?"

"That's where it gets harder to describe. Margot went to work in the saloons saying that then she could take care of the baby during the day and she'd earn lots more working there than as a shop keeper. Missy felt bad for her. We both knew what could happen in the saloons, but Margot took to it like a duck to water."

"I've heard that she blackmailed men using Jake after he was born. Did Missy know about that?"

"I think she suspected something, because she started bringing Jake with her to work instead of leaving him home with Margot. Yet Missy had a hard time believing it even after that one man made such a stink and the sheriff came to the house."

"What did Margot say about it?"

"As you'd suspect…that it was all a lie or a misunderstanding. She even said that she thought that sweet thing, Belle, had started the lies to get back at her."

"And Missy believed that?"

"Truth was I think she couldn't do anything but believe it. Margot had some hold over her. She'd convinced Missy that no one in the world cared about her after she got herself into trouble. Anytime Missy tried to speak her mind or ask questions, that witch would pull her trump card, making the child feel like a traitor for listening to the 'lies' people were telling about 'poor Margot.'"

He shook his head in thought. "The Reeds, Missy's parents, are good people. They never gave up hope that Missy would contact them."

"Sad story about that." Addy lowered her eyes in a look of grief. "I think it's what ultimately led to Missy's death. Missy had begun to talk more about her folks as Jake got older, but Margot kept her convinced that they wouldn't understand because they were so straight-laced. I finally told Missy that anyone who had raised her so well as her parents seemed to have, would never put her out, no matter what she'd done."

"Were you able to convince her of that?"

"Yes I was." She raised her head, her eyes now clouded with anger rather than sadness. "Missy wrote to her folks telling them where she was and why. She figured if they didn't respond, then she'd know the truth."

"It must not have reached the Reeds. They said they'd never heard from her."

Addy's anger flashed, "Of course they didn't. I didn't know then, but suspect now that Margot got that letter and threw it away. After a few weeks, Missy got a reply from _someone_ supposedly living at the Reeds' ranch, saying the family had moved on, leaving no clue as to where they had gone."

Adam was beginning to understand the depth of Margot's depravity. "Another lie; probably penned by someone Margot knew…or coerced into helping her?"

"Probably." A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. "Oh," Addy rose as her spirits lifted. "Lunch is here."

"It is?"

"Young man, I haven't entertained a gentleman caller in so long that I made sure I'd have something nice to give you for lunch. Don't think I haven't noticed your face as you politely sipped that horrible coffee. I don't cook much, but this little repast comes from the finest café in town."

"I ate at a restaurant last night and the food was passable. Where is this café?"

"Next to the saloon that Monica owns. She owns the café…and the dress shop, and the hotel across the street from where you're staying, and the general store…"

Addy opened the door and began chatting with the young woman carrying a basket of food. "Just put it on the table, Sally." The two women exchanged pleasantries as Sally laid out the meal of soup, fresh bread and a double wedge of apple pie.

Sally was one of the women who'd spoken to Adam the day before so she acknowledged him with a smile and said, "Good to see you again, Mr. Cartwright. Monica sends her regards and says she's looking forward to dinner tonight."

They sat to eat as Adam brought the conversation back to something the older woman had said just as their lunch arrived. "Did you say that Monica owns several businesses in town? I spoke to her yesterday and she said she owned the saloon."

Addy sipped the broth from her spoon before replying. "Dear boy, the woman's name is Monica Crawford. Does that ring any bells?"

It did. He remembered seeing that last name prominently displayed on several buildings as he'd ridden into Placerville. "So all those building bearing the name Crawford belong to her?"

She nodded while biting off a piece of warm bread. "Monica is a wonderful woman. She does that massage thing with my arms and hands and makes them feel so much better. She and her husband came here and settled after he'd decided to invest the money he'd made in mining. Marcus was older than Monica and died some years back, but he taught her a lot about running things, and she's blossomed as a businesswoman."

"Seems that way…" Adam's comment carried much admiration.

"Monica is a good woman, Adam. Missy did my cooking and cleaning as my condition worsened and when she died I thought I was done for too, and would have to move to the boarding house. But then Monica showed up with a group of her girls and they cleaned my house and washed the windows. She told me that she'd send lunch every day with enough to see me for supper too, and each week a couple women come and help with the cleaning and laundry."

"That seems most kind."

"Monica was distraught at Missy's death—almost as much as I was. She'd been planning to have her run the dress shop when I decided to stop sewing." Addy squinted at Adam as her mouth puckered in thought. "I don't want you to think less of Monica because she runs a saloon. She and Marcus ran a good place from the beginning. They had fair gambling tables, didn't water their liquor and never allow their female employees…how to say this…" She giggled as she finally said, "To entertain men in their rooms for money. The girls at the Nugget sing and dance and give the men a good time, but there's nothing more. Monica protects those girls like a mother bear."

"Yet, I saw more people in the Gold Nugget than anywhere else."

"You'd think that wouldn't be true, but it is. The men might swagger over to the other watering holes at some point, but they appreciate the way the Nugget is run." Addy leaned across the table as though she had some secret information. "You know that Margot worked there at first, but got fired for her big mouth. Most of what she was in trouble for was about you."

Adam stopped his spoon's ascent. "Me?"

"She'd get loaded toward the end of the night and start talking about Adam Cartwright, and get maudlin and loud about you. One minute you were coming to take her away, the next she was going to get you for being such a weasel."

Even though Monica had broached this subject a day earlier, it still floored him to hear it voiced again. "I feel like I'm repeating myself lately, but I had no idea she held those feelings."

"Well of course you didn't, child. Why would you? I spoke with Monica after you did yesterday and she told me that you barely knew Margot." She smiled wickedly, "I tell you, she was really excited to meet the man behind all Margot's caterwauling and said she thought that if any of it had been true, that you'd have been worth wailing about." Addy laughed at Adam's grimace and blush.

"So what else did Monica have to say about me?" he asked with a wink.

"Women don't tell such things, Mr. Cartwright."

The two finished their lunch, with Adam admitting it was the best food he'd eaten since he'd left the Ponderosa.

He got the discussion back on track as soon as they were seated on the sofa again. "I'm afraid I need to leave soon, so if you don't mind, I'll focus on a few specifics. You mentioned that things didn't remain good between Missy and Margot?"

"Hmmm," Addy sighed. "There were so many odd things that went on. As Jake got a little older, Missy was able to help Monica now and again at the dress store when a client needed a fitting. Missy was noticed by some of the young men in town, who then came courting. She was wooed by three very nice men. The first asked her to marry him within a month of getting to know her, and Missy accepted."

Adam's eyes widened with surprise. "Did she get married?"

"The poor man had an unfortunate accident and died."

"Died?"

"Dead. It was hard for Missy, but with the mining and rough country around these parts, accidents happened all the time, and she forced herself to get over it. It wasn't until second and third suitors had unfortunate accidents too that the whispers started."

"Three men died while courting Missy?"

"The first was thrown from his horse, the second was bushwhacked, and the third rode off a cliff at night. All three were conceivable, but just too coincidental for my thinking. The general feeling following those 'coincidences' was that while Missy was a nice woman, she wasn't nice enough to die for."

"What do you think happened?"

"I don't think…I know. Margot happened. That's why I got that note today. She must have gotten someone to take care of them. She was jealous of Missy and couldn't stand the thought of being alone while Missy found a better life. They argued a lot, with Missy giving Margot every assurance that their friendship wouldn't end because of it. There were many ugly words exchanged until all three men were gone and no one else came calling."

"Why didn't someone do something?"

"There was no proof. They all seemed like accidents, and there was no evidence to show a connection to Margot. And the thought that she would have gone to such extremes to keep Missy from marrying just seemed too farfetched. Yet that's not the worst. I think Margot did something even crueler."

His interest was piqued again, wondering what more the woman could do. "What's that?"

Addy began massaging her hands as she pulled the story together in her mind. "One day Jake's pa came to town."

Adam shot up as if poked. "What? Margot swore that Missy never saw Ned Seeley again!" He began pacing.

After a brief laugh at his reaction, Addy asked, "And the fact that she lied _surprises_ you? Ned left the ranch where he worked near Virginia City to head down to Arizona shortly after making Missy's acquaintance. We never found out the exact place he was, but it was near Hardyville, in the Colorado River valley. He worked at a ranch that provided horses for the cavalry down there, and he came up here with a string for a mining company. He saw Missy, recognized her, and came a running. Seems those two had actually loved each other when they'd been together that summer, and he'd always wanted to marry her. He even went back to Virginia City later but she was gone, and no one knew how to find her."

"Did Missy tell Jake about his father?"

"No. And as it turned out that was probably good. She didn't want him knowing in case things didn't work out." Adam's back was turned as Addy's face took on a devilish grin. "Missy didn't want Jake to be disappointed and thought it was easier imagining a good father rather than living with the truth of one that didn't care about him. When Ned came back to town, he found out about Jake and promised he'd come back for them as soon as he got his pay and belongings from Arizona. Missy believed him, but said she'd fallen for his good looks and charm once before and might be disappointed again. She told me many times that all she'd really gotten from Ned was a few clumsy minutes of heavy breathing and pawing, and she honestly felt nothing had even happened…until she found out she was pregnant!"

Adam stopped pacing as his eyes grew large. Looking back at Addy, he saw the glint in her eye and he started to laugh.

"I shocked you, didn't I? Sorry about that son, I can get away with saying what I want to because I'm old and people just think I'm addled. The point is that Missy loved Ned, but wasn't so sure she could trust him. He'd made promises before…"

"I assume he didn't come back?"

Her voice saddened. "No, he didn't, and that about killed Missy. But I think Margot got to Ned and scared him off. I always pushed Missy to write to Hardyville and see if she could find him. To my mind he seemed to have loved her enough to have come back, so I thought there was something amiss."

Adam's mind began to race. If Jake's father was still out there, he would want to know what had happened. He sighed resignedly, knowing that this trek was about to get even longer. He was enjoying his time with Addy, but he had to get moving. "Tell me about Missy's death."

Addy rose and walked to the window. "She's buried over there," she said, pointing to a small marker in a cemetery plot next door. "Missy and Margot were having many disagreements and all-out battles toward the end. Then Margot's parents came through Placerville and found out that she was here. Margot pretty much kept Missy away from them and that made Missy suspect that much more was being kept from her."

Addy returned to her chair, groaning softly as she sat again. "Shortly after that, Monica showed us a story in the Virginia City paper about the Tanners dying in a house fire. Missy couldn't understand Margot's lack of grief, and often commented to me that Margot sounded almost unhinged at times. Her lies were more common than the truth, and Missy could spot them a lot better by then."

She took a moment to compose herself. "You know scripture says that lies are the language of Satan,* and I'm pretty sure that was true in Margot's case. She was pure evil." Addy drew a deep breath and moved into the final chapter of Missy's life. "It really started when an old neighbor of the Reeds came through here on their way to southern California. They recognized Missy, and that's when she found out that her parents hadn't moved and were grief stricken at not knowing where she was."

Adam sat across from Addy, gently taking her hands. "You must have feared for how this would turn out."

"You can say that again. Missy finally understood that Margot had lied about everything. She even made a few accusations about Margot's involvement in some of the deadly things that had happened. It was total war that last day. Missy brought Jake over and told me about the arguments. She was going back to get their things from the house and move in with me. Once she was out of there, she planned to talk to the sheriff about her fears and have him contact her parents so that Margot couldn't possibly intercept the message. From what I can put together, she went back to their house and hitched up the small wagon they had, and got a few their necessities loaded. She was headed back here when the wagon came unpinned from the hitch on a downhill turn and rolled over, killing her instantly."

Adam's breath came out in a slow hissing sigh. "Do you feel Margot had something to do with it?"

"That biddy told the sheriff that Missy didn't know what she was doing and shouldn't have been driving the wagon. She said she figured Missy must have put it together wrong." Tears were streaming down Addy's face as she concluded, "She said Missy was flighty and irresponsible and probably had it coming for being so stupid…" Her voice faltered. "That ugly, ugly witch! I have no doubt that she pulled that pin while Missy was in the house and then ran off to wait for the results. Maybe…I'll give her this much to say maybe…Margot didn't realize that the wagon would roll. Maybe she just wanted to scare Missy into toeing the line again—to show her who was boss—and remind Missy of what she was capable of doing."

"And then in the end Margot became the pitied hero as she cried for the loss of her dear friend, and then took Jake away to find Missy's family, right?"

Addy regained her composure. "That's it exactly. Like she was some saint who wanted only what was best for that boy. And yet…she'd always been good to him despite her little blackmailing scheme. I honestly think she loved the child in her own odd way. A lot of folks around here thought that Missy and Margot were sisters. The sheriff said I had no more hold over Jake than Margot did, and there was no legal means of stopping her from taking him...other than petitioning for custody or contacting the grandparents. Monica hired a lawyer and we were going to do just that, but Margot took off during the night. We were hoping we'd get some news of where Margot had gone when our sheriff got your sheriff's wire. After that, you came riding into town."

"It worked out, Addy. Jake's safe; his grandparents are happy, and I'm sure he remembers you fondly. You were very good to both of them, and Missy was fortunate to have had you in her life."

He drew her near and kissed her teary cheek. "I have to go."

Addy held his arm as she walked him to the door. "Promise me something, Adam Cartwright. Get that woman and make her pay for what she did. She's the worst kind of evil. She lies and turns the truth inside out to make herself seem the victim while leaving mayhem in her wake. The strangest part is that she holds no guilt, remorse or responsibility. How can you even fight such a beast?"

**Eight**

**Never Keep a Lady Waiting**

Adam left Adelaide's home certain that he'd now met two outstanding women in Placerville, and he wished he could have known Missy. She seemed to have become a good mother despite some difficult circumstances. He had much to tell the Reeds about their daughter, and had left their mailing information with Addy, who'd promised to have someone help her write a personal note to them.

It seemed that Margot had been getting more enmeshed in "adapting" her situations to fit her blurry vision of reality by the time Missy had died. He was even beginning to wonder if she had "believed" the story she'd woven for his father about the child being hers…and his…and began to fear what she might do to his family for ending her illusions. His heart sank as he realized that the Reeds could be in danger too. If Addy's suspicions were true, then Margot had already eliminated all those who'd gotten in her way with impunity, so there was no reason to stop now.

With three hours remaining before his dinner with Monica, he headed back to the saloons where Margot had worked. Both Belle and Addy had voiced suspicions that Margot might have been able to arrange the murders that seemed to free her from any complications. That made his curious to know if there were men that Margot had seemed to favor; the kind of men who might her do bidding for her favors…or her blackmail. Someone had put the note on Adelaide's door, so there was someone here who still had connections to Margot. That person knew where Margot was and had let her know about his inquiries.

Adam was mildly disappointed with his second round of questions. Several women gave him names of men who either hung around Margot or seemed to be her defenders, but there was little conviction that they were capable of brutality. He ended his rounds without being any closer to knowing who threatened Addy or assisted Margot, but he decided that it probably would become clear if he just kept his eyes open…

On the way back to the hotel, he made a stop at the telegraph office sending a note to Commander Harmon at Fort Apache, near Hardyville. Adam had met Harmon in Sacramento when they'd done a deal with the cavalry for Ponderosa beef. He hoped that the commander might remember him kindly enough to do a little detective work to determine where Ned Seeley worked. He hoped that Jake's father was still around or someone would know where he'd gone.

He'd put in a full day, but as he climbed the stairs to his room, he realized how much energy he still had. The thought of seeing Monica again kept him humming as he shaved and donned a freshly laundered shirt. There was a knock as he finished slipping on his boots. _She's early_ he thought as he made his way to the door and swung it open.

Monica glanced again at the grandfather clock in the hotel lobby. Its loud ticking had moved the hands only slightly since the last time she'd looked, yet all those incremental observances now added up to 20 minutes since she'd arrived to meet Adam for dinner. She knew he'd been at Addy's earlier but she also knew that he'd left there several hours ago. Her impatience became mild irritation at being kept waiting. When the clock continued to move without Adam's arrival, her annoyance shifted to unease, prompting her to walk to the front desk and ask of the young clerk, "Do you know if Mr. Cartwright has returned?"

He smiled broadly at her, recognizing Monica as a prominent citizen in Placerville. "Yes, Mrs. Crawford. He returned nearly an hour ago. Would you like me to go up and tell him that you've arrived?"

Her heart began pounding as she turned toward the stairway. "Thank you, but I'll just go up and knock on his door. He's in room four, I believe." She heard the clerk confirm the number as she headed up the steps.

The scream a few seconds later shocked the hotel patrons lingering in the lobby. Monica looked terrified as she appeared at the top of the stairs and shouted, "Come quickly. I think he's dead!"

**Nine**

**A Father's Grief**

Ben Cartwright had started and ended every day since Adam's departure by scanning the horizon, hoping to find a dust trail indicating the arrival of a particular man on horseback. His working hours were spent with an ear listening for Sport's cadence, and his nights were mired in dreams reliving the ugly conversation that had sent Adam away. He and his eldest son had certainly gone through tiffs, arguments, hat-slamming episodes, and even some storm-offs in the past. They were both intelligent men who had their own way of doing things, and hard heads that they butted from time to time. Following some of these spats, the two had spent time apart—but never this long—and never without a word or note to indicate where the boy was or when he might return. In the past, Adam had either lost himself for a few hours at the Bucket of Blood or headed out to the wide open spaces of the ranch in hopes of reclaiming his composure as he worked out his positions through physical labor. This time was different thought, and Ben knew it.

It hadn't taken long for Ben to realize that Hoss had been right when he'd tried to make his father consider what he'd done. The truth of Hoss's comment about Adam being the most responsible person he knew plagued Ben. There were times when he forgot that Adam was still in his twenties. He seemed wiser and more dedicated to the truth of any matter than his years would allow. It hadn't taken Ben _long_ to realize this…but it turned out that it had been a little too long, and the opportunity to make amends had vanished along with his son.

A cool gust of wind chilled him physically, just as Adam's absence chilled his heart. He had no concrete reason to assume that his eldest was in danger, yet Ben always knew when his children were in circumstances that might prove harmful. In this case, his fatherly intuition was at full alert. He didn't know where to look for Adam, and he realized with anxious sadness that he simply had to wait. As he finished checking the fence line he'd been riding most of the afternoon, he came to the well-worn road leading back to the house. Pulling Buck to a stop, he scanned the horizon, and seeing nothing, prayed for the safety of his missing child. He pulled the reins to the right as he voiced a final prayer. "Lord, please lead me in your ways and to find my child."

**Ten**

**When A Fist Hits Your Eye Like A Log On the Fly…**

After the clerk ran for the doctor, Monica returned to Adam's side, and this time was able to calm down enough to feel a weak pulse and see his chest rise and fall with shallow breaths. She bent to gently kiss his bruised cheek as she breathed, "What happened to you?"

She had found him crumpled on his side on the floor of his room. Receiving no response to her shouts, she had even pinched his arm, trying to elicit a grimace or reaction…but there had been nothing. All she could do was wait for help now, so she sat next to him, stroking his hair while repeating, "Don't worry, the doctor is on the way."

After what seemed like hours, the physician entered the room, gave Adam a quick assessment and asked Monica to help him roll him onto his back.

Tears came unbidden as she the doctor brought a lamp nearer and she got her first good look at the damage. There was an actual outline of huge fingers and knuckles in the bruising on Adam's forehead, nose and cheeks.

Doctor Stevens checked Adam's eyes, and opened his shirt for a better look at what other damage might be hiding beneath his clothing. He shook his head in disbelief as he observed the large number of discoloring bruises that covered Adam's torso. He'd seen this before. The bruises bore the imprint of the toe of someone's boot. Adam had been kicked repeatedly with great force. He told Monica, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone so badly beaten. Luckily I feel no broken ribs, but that doesn't mean there isn't serious internal damage. Someone meant business."

Monica suspected who was behind it, and was overcome with fear that whoever had done the deed might come back to finish it if they found out that Adam was still alive. She spoke her thoughts aloud. "We've got to move him over to my place so we can keep him safe while he recovers."

There was no mistaking the doctor's uneasy frown, but he agreed to the move. He left to find the desk clerk and sent him to his office to get a stretcher and help to carry it. Returning to the room, Doctor Stevens touched Monica's arm and made her look at him. "I don't know that your friend will survive. The bruising on his body is serious, but his head injuries are most troubling. I'm afraid his frontal sinuses might have been fractured in the punch that left those marks on his face. But someone gave him a good kick to his head too, and the force of that may have compromised his optic nerves or caused bleeding in his brain. I'll do a thorough exam once we get him settled, but I'm not hopeful. I don't know why he's alive now but I'll do what I can to keep him that way."

Monica steeled herself as she listened, and calm descended over her spirit as he finished. She stated with surety "All that may be true, Doc, but you don't know this man. He'll make it." Her voice trailed off with less conviction. "He has to make it. Margot can't take another good man from this earth."

Once Adam was safely settled at Monica's hotel, Doctor Stevens did a thorough assessment and proclaimed Adam to have the hardest head and toughest hide in the West. That was the good news. There seemed no indication of internal injuries, his nose wasn't broken and his facial bones were intact. But two unknown factors loomed likely as the patient remained unconscious.

He finally shared his conclusions to stop Monica's sighing and pacing. "I have many positive findings, my dear, but Mr. Cartwright was hit and kicked with deadly force that may have damaged his brain. If that's true, then…" he'd faltered, not wanting to say the words… "Then…he won't wake up. And there's the other matter of his eyes. There is scleral and corneal damage and I'm quite sure there is blood in the vitreous humor—that's the fluid in his eye. Should he survive the other injuries, his vision may be permanently affected.

Monica had been at Adam's side for three days and he hadn't stirred…not even when they'd changed his position or did eye irrigations to prevent infection from setting into the wounded tissue; not even when she'd massaged his legs and arms to keep them from stiffening while his muscles lay idle. This brought moments when the doctor's words of hopelessness grew tight around her heart and made her breathless with worry.

Monica brought Addy to the hotel after the attack on Adam, unwilling to leave the older woman unprotected in case Margot's henchmen were trying to do away with those asking questions or giving opinions.

Addy had joined in the efforts to keep Adam comfortable, and more importantly, had kept vigil with the younger woman. She entered Adams room, moving to stand behind her friend. Noting Monica's drawn expression, she offered, "He'll make it, child. Don't fret."

"I believe that too, Addy, but what if he can't see?" Her voice caught as she took the older woman's hand. "I think we were hoping that he would do what we couldn't, and now…he may never be the same. Did we have the right to expect his help...to prod him in the direction we wanted him to go without knowing how much he might lose if things went wrong?"

"Seems to me he came offering his help, Monica. You didn't ask him to do anything. It's just the man he is. He'll place no blame on anyone excepting the ones who did this to him." She pursed her lips in thought. "Did you ever send a wire to his father as we talked about?"

The younger woman blushed as she answered. "I didn't." Hearing Addy's sigh, she explained, "I know we talked about it, but honestly, I don't think Adam would want his father to come running right now. He didn't tell me what happened between them, but I know there's a problem there. I figure Adam wouldn't care for some tearful bedside reunion…where he's the one in the bed. I'll send something tomorrow if he isn't awake by then."

Addy was about to offer an opinion when both women were startled by a groan as Adam reached up in an attempt to remove the gauze covering his eyes. Monica jumped to grab his hands before he could accomplish his goal, telling Addy to send someone for Doctor Stevens.

"Adam," she soothed, "You're safe but you've been badly injured and have bandages over your eyes. Do you understand?"

He nodded slightly.

"How are you feeling?"

Adam answered with another groan.

"Rest now, Doc Stevens will be here shortly."

"Need sheriff." Adam's first words were whispered through the clenched teeth of a grimace.

"That can wait. You just woke up and we need to tend to other things first."

His head moved from side to side. "Can't wait."

"All right, Adam. I'll send for Andy, but you rest until he arrives."

**Eleven**

**Patriarchal Decisions**

A heaviness had hovered over the Ponderosa household since Adam had ridden off. It clung to Ben and his two sons like a humid weather system, saturating them with unease. They all felt it, yet bypassed any further discussion about the situation. Hoss had warned his father about what would happen if he didn't make things right with Adam, and he wasn't about to add to the man's pain by saying, "I told you so," now. Family discussions at the dinner table remained focused on the work of the ranch, and evenings were spent with each man seeking the refuge of his own bedroom rather than lingering downstairs.

At the end of the second week, Ben came to breakfast with a determined set to his face. He cleared his throat to get Hoss and Little Joe's attention. "I've made a decision. It's time we get back to normal around here. I regret the part I played in Adam's departure and would tell him how sorry I am, but I can't because he hasn't seen fit to let me know where he is. So we're going to set this aside until something changes. There'll be no more sad faces or anxious looks exchanged every time there's a chance mention of our missing family member. We will talk and laugh and play checkers or read after dinner like we used to. And we'll talk about Adam too, and keep him our thoughts. Understood?"

Neither son spoke, but they both nodded and released sighs that sounded like a last, dying breath. Ben chuckled as he realized he'd done the same thing. It was as though they had all been holding their breath and it felt good to finally release that stale, sour air and breathe deep and full again. "Boys, I understand that this is a bad situation. I know I was wrong and can only trust that God will bring your brother home. But the grief over it and the second guessing of how I handled things ends now."

A look passed between the two brothers. Ben saw it, and acknowledged its meaning. "I know that's easier to say than to do. But to get us started in the right direction, I think we should get away from home for a few days."

Little Joe was too old to bounce up and down on his chair, but right then he sure wished he could. His excitement billowed as he asked, "What'd you have in mind, Pa?"

"There are tools and supplies to pick up in Carson City, and a week-long cattle auction there next week. We don't need any stock, but it's always interesting to see what's available. We'll finish up our work around here, then head out and check our herds that are pastured in the direction of Carson, and end up in the city. I have a couple business obligations there, but other than helping me load the tools and meeting up for dinner, you two can indulge in your own pastimes." Ben grinned as he saw the smiles replacing the dour looks that had become the norm. "Of course this is purely voluntary and if you'd rather remain here doing chores, you're welcome to do so."

Hoss nearly knocked his chair over as he rose. "I can have my things together in ten minutes. That soon enough, Pa?"

Ben laughed for the first times in weeks. "Settle down and have your breakfast, Hoss. We'll leave Sunday after church."

**Eleven**

**The Advantages of a Hard Head and Tough Hide**

"Adam?" Monica shook his shoulder gently. "The doctor is here now. Can you wake up?"

He caught his breath as his battered body objected to his attempt at moving. "I'm awake," was all he managed to say.

"Adam, I'm Doctor Stevens." The doctor sat on the edge of the bed. "You don't know me, but I've gotten to know you and your hard head over the last few days. I must say that I wondered if I'd ever be having a conversation with you. The beating you took was most severe."

The patient attempted a smile. "I know…" he said quietly, "I was there."

"Ah, a patient with a sense of humor. Wonderful!" The doctor turned his attention toward the two women in the room. "I need to have him sit up. I think Monica and I should assist him, and Addy, you be ready with pillows to prop him." He positioned one pillow against Adam's chest while Monica knelt on the bed for better leverage. "We move him on three. One, two…"

A resounding yelp accompanied the position change and got the patient breathing hard as he settled back against the pillows. When he could speak again, he said, "My eyes, doc…what's wrong?"

"We're about to find out, son. Whoever, or whatever hit you, packed a wallop and your eyes took a beating."

"Who," Adam breathed.

"Who, what?" Doctor Stevens stopped unwinding the serpentine bandage.

"You said…'who or what' hit me…It was who."

The doctor laughed. "I really wasn't sure. The size of the bruising seemed to indicate that a fence post had connected with your forehead."

"That's…about right."

Sheriff Andrews entered the room without knocking, and broke into the conversation. "Well, Mr. Cartwright, I wasn't sure I'd ever see you sitting up or speaking again. But I'm glad that you're on the mend, since I wasn't in the mood to do all the reports involving a death by fence post." He laughed as he neared the bed and patted Adam's sheet-clad knee. How're you doing?"

"Don't know yet, but glad…you were saved…paperwork." Adam struggled to speak against the pain.

The sheriff addressed the doctor. "You in a hurry or can I take a quick statement from the victim so's I can start looking for the culprits?"

"Culprit." Adam corrected in a whisper.

"You're telling me that this much damage was done by one person?" the sheriff asked dumbfounded. "We all thought for sure there'd been a couple."

"Heard knock at door…opened it. Saw fist coming at me out of the dark. Dropped me like a rotten tree."

"You have so many bruises on your body, how'd he do that?"

"Kept kicking me…glad he didn't use gun instead."

The sheriff looked thoughtful as he gave his opinion. "This seemed personal, Mr. Cartwright. No one does this to another man without it meaning something."

"Kept saying…'You hurt Margot,…got this comin.' Kicked more…then whined, 'Why'd ya have to come here askin' questions.…She told me to take care of you so you can't ask no more.' Then just kicked til he thought I was dead."

Adam became animated as he'd given his description, forcing the doctor to give the Sheriff Andrews a look of caution.

"So we have to assume whoever did this was in contact with Margot. I'll check the telegraph office. But it might be easier if we had more of an idea who she corresponded with. Can you describe the man?"

"Never saw face. My brother…"

The doctor's voice broke in, "You're think your brother did this?"

Adam moved his head side-to-side. "No! My brother, Hoss…big guy…six four…broad…this guy even bigger. Sounded childlike when he talked."

Every voice in the room spoke the same name. "Tiny."

"Who?" croaked the victim, "Not tiny."

Monica explained. "Tiny is a young man who cleans some of the saloons—mops up a couple times a day and washes down the outhouses. He keeps a little shack behind the Placerville Pump House. Of course he's called Tiny in one of those twisted attempts at irony because he's so big. He towers over everyone in town and would be the perfect patsy for Margot. I can't believe we didn't consider him before. All it would have taken was for her to pay him a little attention, maybe even give him a kiss from time-to-time and tell him how big and strong he was. Since most people teased him cruelly or ignored him completely, he would have been an easy mark for Margot's attention."

"She's right," the sheriff continued, "Nobody paid him any mind, so he could have done whatever she wanted him to do with no one suspecting. I'll check for wires to him and see where they originated. Margot may have suspected that Mr. Cartwright would head to Placerville after what she pulled in Virginia City."

Andrews was nearly out the door when he remembered the telegram in his pocket. "By the way, Mr. Cartwright, I received a wire from the commander of Fort Apache today. The clerk at the telegraph office brought it to me since he'd heard you were in pretty bad shape."

"Read it please…it should interest everyone."

The sheriff opened the paper and began to read.

_GREETINGS ADAM . REGARDING NED SEELEY. HANDLED DISPOSITION PERSONALLY. SEELEY FOUND DEAD THREE YEARS BACK. DISPATCHING COURIER WITH PERSONAL EFFECTS AND LETTER REGARDING CIRCUMSTANCE OF DEATH TO PLACERVILLE SHERIFF. ARRIVAL MONDAY NEXT. REGARDS COMMANDER HARMON FORT APACHE_

There was no sound as the impact of the telegram hit those assembled. Addy finally broke the silence. "Doesn't it seem like everyone connected to Margot Tanner dies?"

"I'm going to arrest Tiny." The sheriff placed the telegram in Adam's hand. "This is going to end now if I have to beat _him_ with a fence post until he tells me the truth."

Adam called, "Wait."

Andrews touched his shoulder. "I didn't go anywhere yet, son. What do you need?"

"Don't do anything about him right now." The pain was easing as he settled more comfortably into the pillows behind him, making it easier to speak. "Check telegrams first. See if he sent one back to her. Then just watch him…that's if he's still around. I predict he's gone off to join her."

"That's a possibility I hadn't considered," Andrews replied. "I'll be back after checking with Smitty at the telegraph office."

"I have a good idea where Margot is and don't like it one bit." Adam said as he heard footsteps leave the room. After a moment he addressed the doctor. "Can we get this bandage off my eyes and see what's going on? I have to leave here as soon as possible."

"Whatever we find under those bandages won't make a difference, Mr. Cartwright. You're not going anywhere soon."

Adam muttered softly, "That's what you think."

**Twelve**

**Girls Still Make Passes at Adam in Glasses**

Adam felt cold steel against his scalp while hearing the distinctive rasp of a scissor cutting through gauze. When the bandages began to loosen, he asked, "May I ask what you're expecting when these are off? You never did say."

The doctor showed the deftness honed by years of avoiding direct questions. "Please keep your eyes closed as I remove the last of these pads."

Adam persisted, "If you think I won't be able to see, please say so." He felt the doctor's shirtsleeve brush against his face and grabbed for his wrist. "Please. I need to know before..."

"You are a persistent young man, aren't you? Monica said as much." He laid his hand on Adam's shoulder. "The surfaces of your eyes were damaged by the blow, Mr. Cartwright. You must have had your eyes wide open when Tiny's fist connected. But that's already healing. It was the force of his punch that likely did damage inside your eye and we won't know how much until you open them."

"There's a chance I was blinded?"

"A chance, yes, but let's do a little detective work. What time of day do you think it is?"

"Morning." Adam replied without hesitation.

"What makes you think that?"

Adam thought a moment before saying, "I could smell bacon on Sheriff Andrew's clothing when he came close to me."

Monica and Addy joined the doctor in laughter before he replied, "But you don't know Andy like we do. He'd eat bacon for every meal if he could, so it's possible he had dinner before coming over here."

Adam considered that possibility before shrugging his shoulders. "I'm sure it's daytime."

"You're right. It's half-past nine and I'm guessing there's a good reason you got the right time of day when you added in the smell of bacon. Remember that I'd begun to remove the outer layers of this bandage when Andy arrived."

"I remember."

"And I think that you sensed that it was daylight. You aren't picking up on that now because you're tense and questioning your ability to see."

"I don't understand."

"I think as those outer layers came off, things brightened. It wouldn't be unusual for you to sense the difference, so you're not processing that information any differently than as a normal occurrence."

He nodded. "That's true. It is brighter than it was before. Does that mean I can see?"

"So far it only means that your eyes can still differentiate between light and dark. But it's a good thing…a very good thing." The doctor pulled the last of the gauze from Adam's eyes and instructed, "Open up, Mr. Cartwright, and tell us what you see."

Monica moved to the side of the bed and held Adam's hand as he began to blink. "How is it, Adam?"

He smiled. "Really blurry, but I can make things out." He looked around, "Where am I? This isn't my hotel room, is it?"

"We moved you to my hotel so we could protect you." She turned his head toward her and teased, "This would never have happened if you'd stayed here in the first place. We guard our doors so nobody can sneak up the back way and beat the pulp out of our guests."

"So noted."

"All right, you two; back to what's important," the doctor chided. "Let's determine how well can you see." Doctor Stevens walked to objects in the distance asking Adam to identify what he was standing next to or holding. While Adam was able to guess at some of them, most images were distorted, causing the doctor to purse his lips and suggest, "Hmm. Describe what you're _seeing_, son. Don't try to guess what it is."

At first Adam wasn't sure what he meant, but as he focused, he understood. "I see shapes and outlines of things across the room, but can't make out what they actually are. I see things that are closer more clearly, but even those things seem to have an aura around them, almost like the vapor you see when you look at something radiating the heat of the sun."

"Excellent! That's better than I'd hoped for." Doctor Stevens examined Adam's eyes more closely with a thick magnifying lens. The cornea is doing well, and I'll be able to give you more definition with some spectacles while the blood inside your eyes continues to reabsorb and the fluid clears. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd say that your vision will be back to normal in a few days."

Hearing his patient's exasperated sigh he added, "Remember that a minute ago, you were worried that you'd be blind, so don't despair of a few days. I'm going to my office and when I return I'll bring along some lenses and see what we can do to improve things."

Once the doctor left the room, Monica reached for Adam's shoulders, and kissed him gently on the lips. Realizing what she'd done, she pulled back, saying, "I'm sorry I did that."

"I'm not." Adam chuckled.

From the opposite side of the bed, Addy contributed, "It's about time someone kissed someone around here. I figured if Monica didn't step up pretty soon, I was going to have to do it."

"You are a bad old woman, Addy," Monica laughed. "I'm just so relieved that Adam's on the mend and can see." She busied herself with straightening the sheets as a blush continued to tint her cheeks.

A rumble from his stomach prompted Adam to say, "I hear there's a pretty good restaurant in this hotel. What do you suppose it would take to get something to eat?"

Addy was asking what he'd prefer when Sheriff Andrews blew into the room waving two pieces of paper. "You were right!" he exclaimed as he hurried to the bedside, moving Monica out of the way while handing Adam the notes. "Read these!"

"Um, perhaps you'll do the honors," Adam suggested, "I can see, Sheriff, but not well enough to read."

"Oh sure," Andrews sat on the bed. "I'll just say what it's about 'stead of reading them. The one from Margot says that her plans went badly in VC—I'm assuming that'd be Virginia City—and she expects that someone will come round asking questions in Placerville. She actually wrote for Tiny to clean up the mess and meet her afterwards."

"Sounds like she told Tiny to kill Adam, doesn't it?" Monica said with a deep sigh.

"Might…might not. It wouldn't hold up in court. She could say she just needed Tiny to clean up her house or something."

Adam asked as he yawned, "And what was in the one from Tiny?"

"He said he'd taken care of it and was coming."

"Coming where? I think I know, but I need to hear you say it." A line of sweat beads was forming on Adam's forehead as the pain of sitting up began to bother him more.

"The telegram originated in Carson City."

Adam sat forward, saying, "I knew it!" just before he let out a cry of pain as he settled back, trying to get comfortable enough to finish.

Monica grabbed a wet cloth and dabbed at Adam's face as she asked, "What made you so sure, Adam?"

"It all sort of came to me after talking with the people here. Margot Tanner does not leave loose ends. She left here with Jake, saying she was going to take him to his grandparents, but she didn't. She hung around Virginia City waiting to approach my father. But I came back and Jake told the truth, and that messed things up for her. Sheriff Coffee sent her packing, but I had the feeling she wouldn't go far."

Addy asked, "But why Carson City?"

It's where Jake's family is, Addy. She thinks she's done with me now, but she must have had something in mind by heading there." Addressing the sheriff again, he asked, "Is Tiny still in town?"

"We can't find him."

"Did anyone see him take the stage?"

"No, but a horse was stolen from the livery and I suspect it was Tiny took it."

A laugh broke from Addy's side of the bed. "I hope it was a strong horse if Tiny's riding it."

The sheriff grimaced as he admitted, "It was Mr. Cartwright's horse, I'm afraid. Tiny is a lot of man for that horse, but I could tell when I first saw it that it was a good animal, so I'm sure he could get Tiny where he needed to go."

Addy, Monica and the sheriff looked expectantly at Adam, waiting for his reaction and were surprised when he began to chuckle. "Well that solves the problem of getting Sport to Carson. I think I'm going to have to take the stage since I can't see well enough to ride. I feel sorry for Tiny in a way. Sport's a one-man horse, and while he might let Tiny on his back, I'm sure he didn't make it an easy ride. In fact, if Tiny isn't a skilled rider, Sport probably dumped him off a few miles out of town and headed for the Ponderosa."

Adam's exhaustion was fully apparent as his complexion took on a pasty pallor. He quickly directed the sheriff to send two telegrams. The first was to warn the sheriff in Carson City about Margot and Tiny as well as to send word to the Reeds to keep vigilant. The second wire was to his family, asking them to meet him in Carson City by Wednesday. With the sheriff on his way, he asked to be helped to lie back down.

As the two women worked to make him comfortable, Addy muttered. "Nice man, that Andy Andrews, but he's got no spark. He does well enough with the cowhands, miners and everyday criminal sorts, but ask him to solve a mystery and the man couldn't find his way out of pillowcase with both ends unsewn."

Monica laughed, but then thought of what Adam had told the sheriff. "There's no way you'll be up to travelling soon, Adam. It's already Saturday and you can't even sit up alone.

"I can make it."

"You can't!"

"I will," he said more forcefully."

She replied tone for tone, "You won't."

Addy finally broke in. "Stop this arguing right now! It doesn't matter whether you can or can't, will or won't. All that matters is that I'm hiding your pants, and until I think you're up to it, you aren't going anywhere! Cute as your bare knees are, if you head to the stage office in the little nightshirt you're wearing right now, poor Sheriff Andy is going to have to do what he hates: arrest someone he's grown to like."

Adam narrowed his eyes, "You wouldn't dare…"

She moved closer to the bed, suspending his pants by the waistband. "Oh, yeah? Get out of that bed and stop me!"

He started to laugh until he had to cough and ended with his familiar groan. "Come here you two." He stretched his arms out to either side of the bed and they came to hold his hands. "I do wish I could see more clearly. For all I know, Addy was holding a cat instead of my pants, but truthfully, I am beginning to feel that I'm either the most blessed, or cursed man in the world to have you two around."

"I'd go with blessed, if I were you," cautioned Monica, "Addy still has your pants."

"I am _richly blessed_ and I need your help, ladies. I have to get going because I'm worried about Jake. Margot is certainly not happy about him telling us the truth. His confession made her look like a fool and put her in trouble with the law again. It seems that she's removed everyone that she thought was working against her. So I wonder what she might consider doing to an 11 year-old kid who thwarted her."

Addy drew her breath in sharply, "I never looked at it that way. I don't think she'd hurt him, but you're right, Adam, we don't know what she might do."

Monica added, "And she's in Carson City. That can't bode well."

"Now that she has Tiny with her, it could just be a matter of time."

Both women nodded. Adam's apprehension was palpable, prompting Monica to offer, "What do you want us to do?"

In a feat of granite-headed determination, and assistance from his two "blessings," Adam managed to make it out of bed and walk across the room later that afternoon.

Doctor Stevens returned with two pairs of spectacles—one clear and one tinted gray. He'd put them together from Adam's estimate of how his vision was being affected, and while they didn't correct the problems, they did allow for things to be a little clearer. The doctor also gave him a cane to use for support, and as an aid to feel for the boundaries of objects that weren't easily seen. He quipped that at least now Adam might get through a doorway, and could check for stairs when the horizon seemed to vanish so he'd live long enough to heal.

The vision situation made Adam uneasy, although he didn't speak his concern. He could see faces but couldn't figure out who they belonged to without adding in what he already knew about the person's build and movement. It made him wonder how he would he ever recognize Margot in a sea of strangers. He hoped his family had received the telegram and would be in Carson City when he arrived, but he knew he had to go whether they were there or not.

As the early Sunday sunshine brightened his room, Adam willed himself to sit on the edge of the bed and to finally stand up unassisted. There was pain, but not so much as the day before, and it was manageable as long as no one took to pounding on him again. Even his sight seemed a little clearer, and he took a moment to enjoy his returning abilities by endowing his two nursemaids with a wide smile.

Monica's encouraging, "You're doing wonderfully, Adam," was overshadowed by Addy's sly comment.

"You are such a serious looking man, Adam Cartwright—not that that's a bad thing. But I think I can actually see your brain working most times. There's never a moment when you aren't thinking, pondering or formulating something, unless you're asleep, and sometimes I even wonder if you're not still thinking then. But young man, when you smile…it's like the sun breaking through on a stormy day! If I was 30 instead of a tad over 60, I'd push Monica aside and take you home with me just to see that sunshine every morning."

The three of them were laughing at Addy's avowal when Sheriff Andrews walked into the room. "Did I just hear you say you were a tad over 60, Adelaide? Isn't it more like 20 years over sixty?"

Monica came to old woman's defense, "Why Andy, it's not polite to tell a woman's age."

The sheriff neared Adam as he corrected his error, "Oh shucks, ladies, I was just commenting on the pinion pine that grows in Addy's yard. I think that must have been planted about the same year she was born and if we'd cut it down, we'd probably find about 80 years of growth there." He placed a hand on Adam's shoulder as he laughed at his own cleverness.

Adam couldn't see their faces, but was sure that the silence from the females in the room indicated their displeasure at the man's comments. He quickly changed the subject. "Do you have news?"

"Yeah, I do, and not all of it good. I got a telegram back from the sheriff in Carson City who asked around and did hear about a big man now working in one of the saloons, but the name Margot Tanner hasn't come to his attention. I know you'll be heading over that way as soon as you're able, and the sheriff wants you to check in with him when you arrive. He's keeping an eye on Tiny and will arrest him for your assault if you want."

"Not yet. He'll lead us to Margot if we can't find her on our own. I'll need a day or two to make some inquiries. She must be using a false name and we'll need to figure out what that is. Why take down Tiny if we can get both of them. He's just her tool." After a moment, Adam asked, "Is there more?"

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but there was some problem with the wire to Virginia City so the message to your kin didn't go out until this morning. Sheriff Coffee was at the office when it came in and he told the man there that your family had left town for a few days away."

"Did he say where they went?"

"The wire said a cattle auction, but not where."

Adam disguised his disappointment with a simple, "Well, thank you." There were cattle auctions several places this time of year. His family was most likely in Sacramento, but they might have gone even farther for a good bloodline.

Monica suggested, "We could send out telegrams to the hotels where they might stay and see if we can find them."

He shook his head. "It's too late. I'm leaving Tuesday and will just have to hope for some good luck and quick answers."

Monica was walking past the open door of Adam's room when she heard him curse. Sticking her head around the jamb she saw him holding his finger over a bleeding cut on his neck. She entered and grabbed the towel from the wash stand to help stop the flow. "You know, Adam, maybe you should just let your beard grow instead of bleeding to death when you're so close to being better."

"Very funny," he growled, his voice shaded with discouragement. "I thought I'd give shaving a try, but I still can't pick up clear borders on anything. You'd think this would be easy since I do it every day, but I didn't realize how much a person relies on what they see to make their hands function properly."

"I never considered that. I suppose you'd train yourself in time if you had to, but soon you'll be able to whatever you want to, so let's get you to the barber shop or just let the whiskers grow."

"We'll go with the second option."

She moved the towel away to see if the bleeding had stopped, and leaned in to kiss the cut. "My mother always kissed my nicks and bruises, and even though I know there's no real medical value in it, it always helped." She moved back a step to give Adam a once-over. "You know…you're looking pretty good. Your beard's already filling in, and those glasses make you look even more intelligent…and disguise those raccoon rings around your eyes a little." Watching the wry smile return to Adam's face, she stepped closer, "Addy's right you know. That smile of yours is something worth waiting for."

He took her face in his hands, and kissed her. As the kiss deepened he drew her nearer, finally whispering, "Thank you, Monica. You've been so kind."

The embrace was abruptly broken with her declaration, "That better not have been a kiss of gratitude, buddy. If you want to thank me, you can shake my hand. If you want to kiss me, it better come from something other than…"

She was silenced as he pulled her back into a deep kiss. He winked at her as he asked, "Did that define my feelings more clearly? I was _interested_ in you from the day you whispered in my ear; _fascinated_ with you that night you gave me the massage, and after Addy told me more about you, I couldn't wait to meet you for dinner. But I haven't been in the position to entertain such thoughts for a few days. Now that I'm back on my own two feet, I would like very much to know you a whole lot better."

Addy walked into the room as the couple kissed, and a sly smile spread across her face as she left, quietly closing the door behind her. She had known Monica for at least a decade and had always hoped the young woman would find someone to love again after Marcus died. When she'd seen Adam walking down the road toward her house, she thought that he might just be the one who could make the young woman happy again.

She stopped in the hall, dancing a little jig to express her delight in this development. Adam and Monica made her feel young, and she hoped that once Margot and Tiny were in jail, Adam would return to Placerville to see how the story of the handsome rancher and the beautiful businesswoman would turn out. She admitted that sounded a bit dramatic, and wondered if she had picked up some of Margot's fairy tale sickness. But at the moment she was feeling heady and didn't try to analyze it further.

**Thirteen**

**A Stage Bound for Truth**

Monica tried to talk Adam into waiting longer before heading to Carson City by suggesting that his family might return home and be able to join him, or that his vision would improve enough that he wouldn't be fighting blindly. But his resolve to leave didn't waver. His determination served to intensify her resolve to make sure he didn't face Margot alone.

The stage to Placerville pulled in on Tuesday with Adam ready…even though not fully recovered. The bruises on his upper body were healing but not so much that he could move without discomfort. Being able to move at all was amazing, considering that a few days ago he was thought to be dead. His blurred vision was the biggest handicap he had, but the glasses helped. Overall, he was hopeful that he could accomplish what he needed to do.

He made sure that Ned Seeley's saddle and a box of personal items were loaded on top of the coach. These had arrived from Fort Apache and he was taking them along for Jake. The note from Commander Harmon accompanying the articles related that those who had known Ned said he was a decent sort and that when he'd left, he'd been happy about getting married and having a son. Unfortunately no one had known who to notify of his death.

Adam jumped when the stage clerk came behind him and said, "You might as well get on board, Mr. Cartwright. The driver wants to leave shortly."

He climbed insde with a few silent curses accompanying the stretching necessary to accomplish the task. Once seated, he positioned the pillows he'd brought, and eased back onto them. There would be breaks at way stations when he'd be able to get out and shake out the kinks, but Adam knew it wasn't going to be an easy trip. It was early afternoon now, and he wouldn't reach Carson City until the next morning, but there was nothing he could do about it except tough it out.

As he waited, he thought about the last few days. He'd been indoors since being on the wrong end of Tiny's fist, and it was different dealing with his vision problems in the faster pace of life outdoors. Recalling the exercise he'd done with Doctor Stevens the day the bandages over his eyes had been removed, allowed him to put images to sounds and movements without truly "seeing" what was going on.

The coach made a deep dip as someone climbed onto the rear left side. Adam knew luggage was being added to the boot because he felt the thump of two bags as they were loaded. The sound of leather slapping indicated that the buckles were being fastened again and the coach rebounded as the person jumped off. He felt the stage move again, this time at the front as the driver mounted to the box. This seemed to signal that they were ready to roll, and Adam wondered if the two passengers he'd been told were traveling with him weren't going to make it on time.

The stage door opened then as the driver yelled down, "Hurry up ladies. I want to get moving." A feather-laden hat preceded the first of the late arrivals into the coach. The woman kept her head down as she took her seat and then extended her hand to the other woman entering behind her. Both women sat in silence with their heads down as Adam gave them a blurry perusal. He added one and one together as a smile crept across his face.

He tipped his hat to greet his fellow travelers. "Monica…Addy…" He laughed as their heads popped up and he heard their shocked gasps. "I might have known that something was up when you two didn't stay to hold my hands while I waited for the stage."

"Your eyes must be improving." Addy stated matter-of-factly. "We thought that if we'd keep our heads down and stay quiet for a bit, we'd be out of town before you started any small talk and then it would have been too late to toss us off."

Her voice was marked with good-natured exasperation as Monica asked, "So what gave us away?"

"Well, let's see," he mused. "You use a soap that's distinctive…let me add that's in a most pleasant way…and I noticed that as soon as you stuck your head inside the door. You also clear your throat when you're nervous and I heard you do it a few times as you helped Addy get settled. And Addy, you groan when you make certain moves—like climbing into a stage and sitting down. I doubt you even notice that you do it."

Addy laughed at the detective in their midst. "Doggone it. You're getting too good at paying attention to what your eyes can't see, Mr. Cartwright. We'll have to be more clever if we want to pull anything over on you."

"So?" he asked after a brief pause—waiting while the two removed their large hats. "What takes you to Carson City, ladies? Surely you're _not_ here to watch over me. I remember we all agreed this morning that I'd do fine on my own."

Monica cleared her throat, "I don't know about Addy, but I need a new hat. You could probably see that the one I was wearing is simply too large to be practical, so I thought I'd shop for one in Carson City."

"That makes sense," he commented with a grin, "And, Addy, what do you need?"

"Nothing at all. I'm just the chaperone."

The stage took off with a lurch. Adam leaned his head back and began to experience his surroundings again. He closed his eyes to shut out the affected images he saw, and listened as the wheels began to grate on the axle. He heard the echo created as the street sounds bounced off the buildings, picking up snippets of conversation that drifted in as they passed by. He heard two men arguing over a poker game and a man hollering at his horse to stop.

The last words he'd heard brought an image of his father to mind. Ben Cartwright usually got his way, but when he first got Buck, the big horse cared little that Ben wanted to be in charge. Buck was just as headstrong as his owner and he didn't respond to his rider's physical directions. Adam could still remember his father pulling up on the reins, and being reduced to hollering, "Whoa, dangit!" when Buck didn't stop. Eventually man and animal began to function as a well-oiled team, but during that time he and his brothers had called the horse, Dangit—of course that was only when their father wasn't around to hear.

He hadn't given much thought to the agreeable memories of his family since leaving them behind, but with the recollection he'd just had, they now they rode the stage with him just as surely as Monica and Addy.

It had surprised Adam to hear that his father and brothers were off to an auction already. Such events were usually seen as holidays in the Cartwright family, and he experienced a twinge of bitterness as he considered how quickly his father appeared to have moved on without him. But that was Ben Cartwright. He was a man of decision and action, and he wouldn't spend time moping. Adam's acrimony was soon replaced by relief that his brothers were off having a good time. He knew that his father had been very angry when he'd left and those first hours, and days, couldn't have been pleasant for Hoss and Little Joe. And as his memories continued, he recalled hearing that his father had "moped" when he'd left for school, and had confessed later that he'd felt there was a hole in the fabric of the family with his eldest son gone. The fact that his father had moved so quickly to "life as usual" this time, solidified his surety that the argument prompted by Margot's lie had caused such a deep tear in the fabric holding them together, that it might never be mended.

His hope in wiring his father had been that reuniting with his family over a cause might help the mending process along. All their familial disagreements fell to the side when they faced a common enemy, and Margot would have been such a foe. It was a moot point now. What shook him most was the fact that his family was gone when he needed them was a confirmation that he was a man without a family now.

The stage was out of town now and picking up speed. The mechanical workings of the vehicle created a constant assault of sound and sensations. Adam could envision where they were simply from the feel of the road, and nodded in satisfaction when he heard a reverberation as they passed between the walls of a rock-walled passage at the point he expected it. He was still lost in his mental journey when he felt a touch on his knee, bringing him back into the confines of the coach.

"I'm sorry, Adam. I didn't think you'd be this upset that we came along." It was Monica's voice.

"I'm not upset."

"You could have fooled us. You might not see well right now, but Addy and I still see just fine, and you've been scowling since we left. Maybe you should just say what's on your mind and clear the air."

He didn't realize that his concentration would be interpreted as anger, but then again, he wasn't sure how he'd appear to someone else. "I'm not upset, Monica. I was listening, and then got lost in thought. I've been rude and I'm sorry."

Addy laughed. "You have been rude, but we forgive you and don't do it again."

"So you two would like to chat?" He removed his glasses and glared at them. "I know where I'd like to start… I'm kicking myself because I could have had Margot arrested in Virginia City…but I underestimated her depravity. I nearly died because of it, and I'm going to find her and make sure that she doesn't harm my family or the Reeds. Having you along makes that harder since I will worry about your safety too. So…if there's a reason you're here besides your tendency to be mother hens…you better be honest with me."

Addy poked Monica. "Tell him, child. He needs to know the whole truth."

Adam sat forward. "Tell me what?"

Monica hesitated, but finally began her confession. "The reason I could sense what Margot had done to you was because she did the same to me."

"How so?" His tone moved from irritation to concern.

"You've never told us exactly what she did, but I have a pretty good idea that she said something to your father that made him doubt you. And even though it wasn't true, it penetrated into a trust that had never been questioned before."

Adam nodded without offering details.

"I told you that Margot envied what I had, but she didn't want to work for it either. She was bright and could have gotten to a point where she could have taken on managing a place instead of merely working there. I fired her when her attitude got to be too hard to handle, but after a while, she convinced me that she had changed, and begged for a second chance."

"And being the generous fool she is, she gave it to her," Addy interjected.

"Yes I did. And that's when she began her scheme to destroy what I had worked so hard to get. Marcus was 20 years older than me, but we grew to love each other. He was proud of me when I caught on to managing a business so quickly, and he trusted my judgment."

"So how did she take that away?"

"She started whispering in Marcus's ear, saying that I was so young I couldn't help but be interested in all the handsome younger men that came through the saloon. Marcus and I laughed about it…at first. But then she started alerting Marcus whenever she'd see me talking with a customer who was younger or good looking. It was part of my job to talk to our patrons, and I talked to _all_ of them, not just the ones she pointed out to him. In time, her constant poking at his insecurity made Marcus wary of me. He knew his doubts were unfounded, but it seemed that what Margot said about my unfaithfulness made more sense to him than anything I could say to contradict it. We had never argued, but before long we were at war constantly. I was so upset that I went to visit a friend for a few days to get away from the tension between us." She paused to withdraw a handkerchief from her handbag. "While I was gone, Margot pulled one of her 'pillar of the community' ploys that Belle told you about."

Addy broke in, "And guess who her first victim was?"

Adam cringed. "Marcus."

"She got him drunk, and whether anything actually happened or not, she got him in a position where he didn't know for sure. Marcus was a ruined man over it. He confessed to being with her when I got home, but that didn't stop her. She wanted Marcus to divorce me and marry her. She wanted what I had—all of it—and it didn't bother her that she was just as young as me or that she was the gold digger she accused me of being."

Monica stopped speaking as her gaze shifted outside the coach in an effort to find her focus again. "Marcus told her that he'd confessed to me and that he would never leave me. At that time Marcus wanted to start up some main-street businesses like a general store and a restaurant. When Margot couldn't get him to abandon me, she threatened to ruin his name so that no one would want him next door."

"What did he do?"

"He told her he was going to the sheriff to make a complaint of extortion against her."

"Obviously that never happened," he said as he sighed. "The Sheriff said there was never a formal complaint made against her."

"He never got the chance. Marc owned shares in a gold mine outside of town, and that same day he received a note saying there were problems that he needed to address quickly."

"Let me guess. He had an accident," Adam said resignedly.

Monica nodded. "It seemed plausible that he'd been inspecting the sluice system when he fell and broke his neck. No one saw it. No one from the mine was there or knew of any problem that required Marcus to be out there—but he was still dead. It was a dark time for me, and I don't think I wanted to face the truth. I'd lost my husband's confidence, his faithfulness, and the man himself in a matter of weeks. I was devastated. That's when I went to San Francisco." She looked up as her voice strengthened. "I've learned a lot over the years I've been alone, and have done well for myself and this town. However, there's one thing I can do to make things even better, and that's to make sure Margot pays for the lives she's taken or ruined. I want to help you any way I can, Adam."

Adam reached for her hand across the expanse of the coach. "We'll get her, Monica."

**Part 3**

**The Battle for Justice**

**One**

**The Lost Is Found**

Hoss stayed behind when Little Joe and his father went to the cattle auction. There was nothing wrong with cattle; he just couldn't imagine spending his day off with them. He preferred sitting and watching the world go by as he relaxed in the hotel lobby. When his stomach began to growl, he decided to head for a café where he knew that the food was tasty, inexpensive, and above all, plentiful. On the way, he stopped now and then to look at the goods available in the store windows.

"Hop Sing would like one of them big skillets," he mumbled as he looked at the display in the mercantile. "He could make twice the amount of eggs he can now all at once. Maybe I'll get it for him before we leave tomorrow." His rumbling stomach reminded him of where he was going and he continued toward his destination.

He was seated at a window table, and had received his heaping portion of stew and homemade bread when he noticed the stage pull in across the street. Normally he wouldn't have paid any attention when he was making his way through a plate of food, but he was struck by the woman who exited the coach first. _She's a mighty fine lookin' lady_, he thought as he took another mouthful of stew and chewed as he continued to watch.

The woman turned to help an older lady to the ground and then assisted a third person. It was this passenger that stalled Hoss's fork in mid-rise. He was certain it was Adam, and rose from the table intending to make his way outside—until a closer look stopped him. The man wore a black hat and mustard colored coat like those Adam owned, and he was the same general build as his older brother. But as he continued to take in the similarities, the passenger turned, making Hoss reclaim his chair. This person had a short-clipped beard and dark glasses over his eyes.

It still took several moments of staring at the outwardly familiar silhouette across the street before Hoss finally resumed his meal, mumbling, "Funny how two people can look so much alike from one side and so different from the other." The factor finally convincing Hoss it wasn't Adam was that the man used a cane to probe the height of the walkway before he stepped up from the street. "That poor feller is blind," he said sadly as he grabbed a piece of bread and sopped up the leftover gravy.

Hoss stretched as he exited the eatery. Other than the letdown he experienced after realizing the familiar looking person was not his brother, he was in very good spirits. As his eyes adjusted to the mid-day brightness, he spotted the two women he'd seen exit the stage, standing together in the next block. They were talking with a curly-haired boy and two older people he thought resembled Jake Reed and his grandparents. He was anxious to see if he was right, but his misidentification during lunch left him a little unsure of his observational powers, so he figured he'd get a closer look before calling any attention to himself.

His progress was slowed to a crawl as he made his way around knots of people congregating on the crowded boardwalk. By the time he got to where he wanted to be, the family was already driving away in their wagon, while the two women waved goodbye.

Hoss approached them, tipped his hat and asked, "Pardon me, ladies, but might that have been the Reed family you was jest talkin' to?"

"Yes it was" the younger woman answered. "We only just met Cal and Sara, but have known Jake his entire life. Do you know the family well?"

"I only got to know Jake a couple weeks back and met his grandparents then."

The other woman gave the big man a look from toe to head and grinned as she said, "Monica, take a good look at this gentleman. He has fists as big as fence posts and he met Jake recently…" She turned to Hoss, asking, "Are you perhaps Hoss Cartwright from the Ponderosa?"

"Yes, ma'am, I am. How in tarnation do you know that?"

"You must have gotten the telegram after all! That's wonderful. Your brother will be happily surprised," Monica exclaimed as she grabbed Hoss's hand and shook it.

A puzzled look crossed Hoss's face as his eyes narrowed. "What telegram are you talking about, and what's my brother got to do with this? Joe's with my pa."

The older of the two women cut in, "Hoss, I'm Addy Barker and this is Monica Crawford. We met your older brother, Adam, in Placerville, and we've all come here because we found out that this is where Margot Tanner went after she left Virginia City. Adam sent your family a telegram asking you to meet him here, but a Sheriff Coffee sent word that you were all away at a cattle auction. Thankfully, _this_ is where you headed."

"Well, don't that beat all," Hoss shook his head. The big man looked around hoping to catch a glimpse of his missing sibling. "Did you say that Adam was here too?"

Monica told him, "We all arrived on the stage today, but he's off talking with the sheriff."

Hoss flinched. "I saw you two ladies arrive today when I was having lunch, and there was another person...but…"

Addy offered, "That was your brother. He was the last one off the coach."

Hoss's voice lost its volume as he pictured the man who seemed so familiar, reaching out with the cane to find the step. "But that man was…blind." He looked down at his boots. "My brother, Adam, ain't blind."

Monica led Hoss to a bench at the rear of the boardwalk where they could speak without being jostled by the crowd. "I'm sure that you saw Adam wearing those dark glasses and using a cane, and came to the conclusion that he couldn't see. The good news is that Adam isn't blind. He can tell you the details of what happened and why, but I'll give you the short version. Would that help?"

"Yes'm. I'd appreciate that. Right now I'm purely confused."

"Adam came to Placerville over a week ago asking questions about Margot Tanner. That got him in trouble with a man who does Margot's dirty work. He beat your brother badly, but you know that Adam is a fighter and he recovered. One of the blows caused a problem with his eyes, but Doctor Stevens, from Placerville, assured him that he'll see fine in no time. Those tinted glasses block out bright light and help him see better. He has a clear pair as well to help him indoors, and the cane comes in handy when the terrain is unfamiliar or shadowed.

Hoss's listened closely as Monica recounted Adam's condition. He leaned forward as she described the injuries; his hands and jaw clenching with his billowing tension and anger. When she finished, he demanded, "Who hurt my brother like that? Tell me who he is so's I can take care'a him!"

Addy stepped in front of the big man, laid her hands on his shoulders, and spoke soothingly, but firmly, "No you won't, Hoss. You'll let Adam explain all that's happened and what he's found out. Then you and your family will help bring this to a lawful conclusion. You got that?"

Hoss looked up at Addy, uttering a sheepish, "Yes ma'am," just as he noticed his brother's black hat bobbing amid the crowd on the walkway. He moved Addy aside as he stood and hollered, "Adam!"

**Two**

**Healing Body, Healing Hearts**

Hoss checked the clock in the hotel dining room again; his sigh betraying his impatience at his father and brother's late arrival. "They was supposed to be here at 6:30," he repeated to his oldest brother who was sitting across the table from him.

"I know; you told me several times already." Adam laughed. "Relax, Hoss, they'll be here when they get here. It can't be much after 6:30 anyway. I just heard the clock chime the half-hour a minute or two ago."

"You're right. I'm just purely jumpin' outta my skin in anticipation is all. Pa's gonna be so happy to see you."

"So you said." Adam sighed this time, "I'm not so sure."

"I've done reassured you about that enough, and you're just gonna hafta take my word for it." Hoss glanced again at the clock before changing the subject. "Them ladies from Placerville are nice."

"Unhuh…" Adam responded as his mind returned to events of a few hours earlier when he heard his name hollered while making his way back to the stage office. There had been no mistaking his brother's shout and he'd made his way toward the tall hat that had protruded well above the other heads around him. Hoss's voice had felt like home as he'd said, "It's good to see ya, Adam."

It had been an unexpected, but easy reunion, and having Hoss handy provided assistance he'd been grateful to have. After a brief conversation during which he'd managed to defer most of Hoss's questions, he'd sent his brother to the stage office to retrieve Ned Seeley's things. Hoss had returned carrying the saddle over one shoulder, and the box of other mementos under his other arm in time to welcome the Reeds back from the errand they'd run. It had been pure luck that Jake had spotted Addy and Monica on the boardwalk as the Reeds had driven their wagon through town earlier.

While Hoss and Addy kept Jake busy, Adam pulled Cal and Sara aside, telling them what he'd discovered about the boy's father. He'd also checked to make sure that Sheriff Michaels had warned them about Margot being in town, and had received their reassurance that they were being careful.

With Cal and Sara's permission, Adam had told Jake what he'd found out about his father. He'd showed the youngster the saddle, the gun and holster, and a few other trinkets from the box, as he'd explained, "These thing belonged to your pa, Jake. There's also a letter from the commander of Fort Apache near where your father worked in Arizona, telling a little more about him."

Jake's head had dropped to his chest as he'd stated, "I guess that means he ain't ever coming for me."

"This is the worst news I can give you, yet it's the best of the worst. Your father was on his way for you and your mother when he died."

Adam had wrapped his arm around Jake as he'd heard the child's breath catch in a strangled sob, and had waited until he'd heard him breathing normally again before continuing. "Jake, I'm finding out that Margot lied about a lot of things. The one thing she lied most about was your father. He wasn't a no-account. He was a hard-working man who wanted to be with you."

The boy had nodded and offered a quiet "thank you," before he'd placed the items he'd been holding back into the box and moved it to the wagon.

Adam had wondered at the child's poise in hearing about the death. He knew it wasn't enough for Jake to know that he'd been loved all along, because right then the loss was too raw. His hope was that he'd at least given the child a place to start.

Once everyone had gathered by the wagon, the subject had arisen as to where they would stay. Adam said he'd bunk with his family, but every hotel room and boarding house in Carson City was filled with cattlemen. Monica and Addy had gratefully accepted the Reeds' invitation to stay with them. It had seemed a perfect way for them to get to know each other while sharing their stories of Missy.

In their brief goodbye, Monica had told Adam, "I'm glad you'll be able to talk to your family without any onlookers. I'll miss you, but it's best this way."

They'd agreed to meet in two days, after Adam had assured them that he and his family could conclude their inquiries in that amount of time. Talking to Cal privately, he'd advised remaining vigilant for strangers near the ranch; to always check the team's hitch before leaving the yard, and to keep his door bolted and shotgun handy. He'd also promised to send Hoss out in the morning to be an additional set of eyes as he began to beat the bushes in town looking for Margot. Adam knew that this would be the most dangerous time for all of them since he couldn't be sure how she might react, or who she might decide to come after if she felt threatened.

As these images receded, Adam allowed himself to linger in the memory of Monica's goodbye kiss…

"Adam…Adam!"

Hoss's voice broke into Adam's reflections and he leaned forward, asking, "What?"

"They just walked in."

Adam was sitting with his back to the entrance of the dimly lit, crowded dining room, and knew his father and Little Joe would need to be much closer before they might recognize him. He breathed deeply and wiped his hands against the legs of his pants as his sudden burst of apprehension made his heart pound and palms moisten. As he saw Hoss rise to wave them over to their table, he steeled himself for the worst.

Ben's voice carried clearly as he moved closer in the noisy room. "Evening, Hoss." Without waiting for an answer, he added, "Looks like someone's joining us for dinner?"

"I think you might know this feller, Pa," Hoss replied.

Adam rose and turned, causing his father to stop abruptly.

Little Joe was following close behind and stumbled into Ben's back. "What are you doing, Pa?" he groused as he moved to his father's side and saw what had stopped the man in his tracks. "Adam!" he hollered as he moved past Ben to slap his brother on the back. "What's with the whiskers and glasses?"

Hoss motioned Joe away with a jerk of his head, leaving the Father and eldest son in a stare-down.

Adam spoke first. "You have me at a disadvantage, Pa. Something happened while I was gone, and I can't see your expression. You'll have to say something so I know whether I'm welcome or not.

The older man seemed rooted where he stood for a moment, but he stepped forward and greeted his son with a handshake. "It's good to see you, son."

The emotion in his father's voice and the strength of the grasp that he refused to release, told Adam all that was necessary. "I missed you too, Pa."

Ben wanted to embrace his son, but not in a room full of prying eyes, and continued shaking his hand instead.

Adam could feel his father's dilemma as his arm pumped with the older man's vice-like grip. Pulling his hand free, he held Ben's shoulders and leaned forward as he expressed his sorrow for the ways things had been left between them.

"I'm the one who's sorry son, you have no need to apologize." However, as they sat down next to each other, Ben added, "Except you could have sent word to let us know that you were safe."

Little Joe eased the meeting by saying. "Yeah, Adam, you should never make Pa worry like that. He almost wore a hole in the floor with his pacing while you were gone. I want to tell you that would have taken a lot of work to repair."

There was a brief silence as the four men settled into their places—both at the table, and as a family.

"Adam, it sure is good to see you!" Joe remarked sincerely. "But what is with those specs and you not being able to see?"

Adam knew he owed his family a report and certainly needed their opinions on many things, but deflected the topic for the present time. "If you like these, you should see the dark ones I wear during the day. But why don't we talk about my _short-sightedness_ later?" He grinned at them. "Maybe for now you could tell me what's been happening with you?"

Although the group was anxious to know where he was during his absence and what happened to him when he was there, they respected Adam's wish for privacy. Joe turned the conversation toward the price that bulls were bringing at the auction, while Hoss remarked on daily life at the ranch.

Knowing his father as well as he did, Adam wasn't surprised that he was reserved while the two brothers chattered on. He knew that his father was far more interested in the circumstances that had led to his son's injuries than in hearing about the mundane topics being discussed. But in typical Ben Cartwright fashion, he was waiting…impatiently, but with aplomb.

Adam gave a half-grin when Ben subtly adjusted his chair a few inches closer while grumbling about the legs being wobbly. And he didn't mind when his father's arm slipped around the back of his chair while leaning toward him in a protective gesture. Adam didn't even care that Ben stayed in that position until their meals arrived and he was forced to sit upright to eat. But he finally got edgy as Ben stopped eating and turned toward him in a perpetual gaze. Looking over at him, Adam remarked, "Pa, stop staring at me."

"I'm not staring at you."

Joe chimed in, "Yeah you are, Pa. I was just thinking the same thing."

Ben turned a rosy shade of pink. "Sorry son. I just want to make sure you're still there."

"Don't worry pa, I'm not going anywhere."

**Three**

**The Truth and Nothing But the Truth**

The weeks of separation faded as the Cartwrights finished dinner and adjourned to the family's suite. Once settled with glasses of brandy in hand, Ben got things going with a commanding. "Now, Adam, tell us what happened to you."

"I'm not even sure where to start, Pa. I've found out so much that my head is spinning."

Ben wore a mild smirk as he goaded his son a bit. "You told us just enough downstairs to indicate that you've been following Margot Tanner's trail. I guess I have to ask why. Weren't you dead set against getting 'involved'?"

Adam laughed. He knew his father was right in calling him on his change of heart, but he'd meant every word—at the time he'd said them. "Jake told me that Margot always had 'a bee in her bonnet' about me. That got me thinking that her need to strike out existed long before she arrived in Virginia City. I had a chance to ask her about it before Roy sent her packing, and her answer was a rambling, insane fabrication. I realized then that I had to find out more about her years in Placerville"

Hoss interjected, "We saw Sheriff Coffee after you left, and he mentioned some of what that woman said to you in his office. Why d'ya suspect she held to them fantasies, Adam?"

"Everyone I've spoken to has made the same conclusion: there's no point in trying to figure her out. She operates on her own set of rules, twists the truth to suit her purpose, and probably gets rid of those she feels are in her way or upsetting her plans."

For the next hour Adam told his family what he'd learned from the people of Placerville, including the suspicions of Margot's involvement in several deaths. He recounted meeting Monica and Addy, and spoke of their assistance after he was injured.

His father interrupted, "Are you talking about Monica Crawford, the woman who owns a third of Placerville?"

"Yes, Pa, that Monica Crawford."

Ben sat up straighter with a look of satisfaction, "Count on you to find the richest woman in town to be your nurse."

Hoss broke in with a chuckle, "She ain't like no nurse I ever met, Pa. She's beautiful, and that Addy that's with her is a pistol."

"So when do I get to meet this beautiful, rich woman?" Joe asked with interest.

"Don't you be getting' any ideas, little brother." Hoss elbowed him in the ribs. "I saw our older brother kiss her goodbye when she went off with the Reeds. So you best stay clear of her or Adam'll hit you with his cane. Addy's available though. She might be a tad older than you, Joe, but she'll give you a run for your money."

Ben's interest was piqued. "Do you care for this woman, Adam?"

"We haven't had time to get to know each other, but I very much like what I've found so far." He didn't wait for more questions concerning Monica. "Let me finish the rest of the Placerville story so you'll all know what we're facing.

Adam recounted Tiny's attempt to kill him, including a brief description of his injuries. He teased his father, "I'm sure you'll be relieved to know that my sight should clear soon. What I see now is blurry, Pa, but don't think I haven't noticed you moving furniture out of the way every time I stand up or move around the room."

Ben chuckled as he agreed, "You caught me again." His voice became somber then as he confessed, "You've revealed an astonishing tale about Margot Tanner. It is hard to believe that _anyone_ can be so devious and cold-blooded—especially a young woman. But then, I still can't believe that I let her manipulate me so easily."

"You aren't the only person she fooled, Pa. She's a well-practiced, nimble, and believable liar."

"That's true."

Hoss rose from the couch as he said, "Hey Joe, maybe you an' me ought to take a walk and let these two sort some things out."

Adam stopped them. "You can stay. I'd like you to hear what I have to say, if Pa doesn't mind."

Receiving a nod of approval from his father, Hoss retook his seat.

Adam addressed his father, "I've had time to consider what happened that day, Pa. Margot's schemes and trickery affected your judgment because it poked deep in your heart. You know how hard it is to raise children on your own and you were moved by her plight. Family is sacred to you, and even when times were the hardest, you wouldn't have put us in harm's way or used us to your benefit. I think you couldn't believe that Margot's predicament was anything other than what she said it was. When given the choice of accepting that I might lie to you, or thinking that a person could use a child unjustly, you chose to protect a child.

He stopped for a moment to let those thoughts settle. "I'll make those concessions. You are a man of honor and wanted to act honorably toward Jake. But I am an honorable man too. I told you the truth, expecting…needing you of all people, to believe me without reservation. Of all the crazy things that I've dealt with since that day; the thing that is still hardest for me to comprehend…is that you didn't take me at my word."

"I agree, and I'm sorry that things went so awry," Ben said thoughtfully. "I should have known that people are capable of evil things, but more importantly, I should have known that _you_ are not. Once I thought it over, I could never imagine a time when you would abandon a son, no matter what the circumstances."

"I figured as much…" Adam smiled as he sighed, "This was an unexpected and inconceivable experience for both of us, but Pa…don't ever question my truthfulness again. That doesn't mean you can't compel me to examine my reasoning or make me think things through more carefully. But I've never lied to you and won't in the future. You'll have to accept that as paramount.

"I understand." Ben added nothing more. His son would have to believe that his promise was sacred and only time could bring the proof.

**Four**

**I Can See Clearly Now**

Adam stood and walked to the mantel, refilling his glass from the decanter of brandy. He noticed that his father rose as well, but this time allowed him to find his own way. "Getting back to the issue we'll be dealing with in the next days; Margot Tanner cannot be underestimated and seems to have no conscience to temper her actions. The truth remains that I never hurt her or gave her false expectations, yet she hated me enough to want me dead. She's here in Carson for some reason. I suspect that she intends to go after the Reeds."

Hoss asked incredulously, "Ya don't think she'd hurt the boy, do ya?"

Adam shrugged. "I don't know. My guess is that she'd go after Cal and Sara so that he'd be dependent on her, just like his mother was."

A knowing look crossed Hoss's face. "I remember somethin' from when we was kids that's always stuck in my craw. Yancy Yates, that kid whose family moved onto the Johnson ranch, had a good ol' dog, named Barney. I always wished I had me a dog like that and never understood why Yancy was plumb evil to it. He'd be all nice to Barney one minute, then would use the rope around its neck to nearly choke the poor thing and pull it to the ground if it so much as wagged its tail at another person. I asked him once why he got so mad about his dog just doing what dogs do. He got this icy look and said, 'He ain't got no call to be sniffin' around anyone else. He's mine and I'm just makin' sure he remembers it.'"

Joe added, "That dog finally broke, and walked around the rest of his life with his tail between his legs, just expecting to be kicked. Later I heard that it bit off one of a Yancy's fingers when he stuck it in the dog's face once too often. He put Barney down after that."

Adam sent his brothers a wry smile. "Seems like you two have stumbled onto the perfect example of Margot Tanner. She has a warped sense of what loyalty is, and when someone can't live up to her ideal, she pulls their leash up short, and…"

Ben finished, "And puts them down if they bite back."

Adam breathed loudly, breaking the silence that had blanketed the room. "It's obvious that Margot expects things to go her way, and me still being alive isn't going to sit well. That should give us an advantage."

Ben noted that Adam seemed restless; pacing the floor until he finally collapsed into his chair again. His son's unease infected Ben, sending icy tendrils of fear to clutch at his heart. He wondered how close he'd come to losing Adam at Tiny's hands, and he wasn't going to let anyone take what had been returned to him. Yet he knew with surety that his son would see this through. Nothing he could say would avert the coming confrontation. He moved behind Adam's chair and gripped his son's shoulders. He knew he couldn't keep him back from what he needed to do, but perhaps he could hold onto him until then. Unlike the last time he'd made this gesture, Adam didn't pull away. "What do you need us to do, son?"

The uneasiness vanished as Adam took control again. "I've been thinking about that. It would probably work best if we'd split our efforts. Hoss, I'll ask you to head out to the Reeds' ranch tomorrow. I don't want Cal and the ladies out there alone once we start poking around in town. I'm guessing he wouldn't mind a little muscle around his place either."

"Be glad to do that, brother. I'll head out first thing and stay glued to them until this is over."

Turning to his father and Little Joe, Adam continued, "The rest of us will split up to check the saloons, businesses and boarding houses to figure out what Margot's been doing. The sheriff says that Tiny works at the CC Saloon, but we'll need to know where she works and lives before going further."

With initial plans in place, Ben suggested that they get some rest. The evening had passed quickly, the mantle clock confirming this as it chimed 2 AM. The younger sons gladly turned in while Ben remained up, saying he needed to finish his drink, while he waited for his third son to fall asleep on the sofa.

Adam had commandeered every available cushion and pillow to build up the couch to sleep with his torso elevated. Both brothers and Ben had offered their bed to him, but he had assured them he'd be most comfortable in a semi-sitting position. After making a few final adjustments, he raised his feet onto the couch as he sank back into his solid nest. His father was soon standing next to him holding out a blanket. Adam grinned up at him as he yawned, "The last time someone stood next to me holding something up like that, it was Addy holding my pants so I couldn't leave. But that's a story for another time."

It surprised Ben that his oldest was asleep in a matter of minutes. He wondered if Adam's ability to drift off so quickly stemmed from the same sort of relief his son described in those who'd shared their stories with him in Placerville. Was it possible that people were so affected by being immersed in Margot's insanity that they couldn't feel safe or whole again until they heard the stories voiced; receiving a validation of their own sanity in the telling?

Whatever brought about Adam's rapid transition to sleep was fine with Ben. His child had looked so tired throughout the evening that he'd worried whether he was really up to the task he'd set out for them. With the peace of knowing Adam was resting, he soon drifted off himself…still sitting in a chair that was within reaching distance of his son.

Shafts of early-morning sun already pierced the windows when Adam awoke in his family's suite. He raised his arm to block the glare and realized that what he saw around him was much clearer. His father still snored in the chair next to him and Adam focused on the deep lines in the man's face where his jaw hung slack. He noticed the color contrast between the dark strands of his father's hair mixed in with the silver, and saw the grizzled whiskers that had appeared during the night.

Wanting a few more moments of private exploration, Adam rose quietly and began to examine everything around him. He saw the muted pattern in the fabric covering of the sofa. As he walked the room he found the ornate design sculpted into the mantle of the fireplace, and saw the fine detailing of the lace in the curtains. His only disappointment came as he tried to read from a letter he found lying on the desk. Trying again after donning the glasses from Doctor Stevens, the print cleared enough for him to make out a few of the cursive letters. But this didn't disappoint him since he now recognized that it was his father's handwriting, and most people had trouble deciphering Ben Cartwright's scrawl. To his great relief and joy, he opened a book that was hidden by the letter, and could easily read the larger print on the first few pages. He let out a whoop that brought his brothers running, and nearly caused Ben to take a header as he tripped on the blanket while trying to rise from his chair.

"What's wrong, Adam?" he asked while trying to extricate himself from the folds of material.

Adam blushed as he saw Hoss and Joe standing in their nightshirts with their mouths agape, and replied sheepishly, "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you all."

Hoss stretched while yawning loudly, "What'd ya do that for, then? You in pain or somethin'?"

"I'm fine, Hoss." He smiled broadly. "In fact I'm more than fine! I can see your mouths hanging open, your knobby knees sticking out under those shirts, Pa's growth of whiskers, and...!"

Ben made his way out of his cocoon and grabbed Adam, exclaiming, "You can see?"

Adam nodded and finally breathed an emphatic, "Yes!"

**Five**

**Pinning Down the Enemy**

After a hurried breakfast, Hoss headed for the Reed farm, while the rest of the family finalized their strategy to find Margot. Ben decided he would make inquiries at the saloons, laying out cash to jog memories if it seemed appropriate. Little Joe thought he'd do best at the women's boarding houses where some boyish charm, a kiss on the hand and some sweet talk, might have the same effect as a his father's gold coins.

Ben spotted her at a table toward the back of the same place where Tiny worked. Margot didn't notice him since she was involved in a loud conversation with a wide-eyed man who seemed to be cowering in his chair. Fortunately it wasn't a saloon that the Cartwrights frequented, so Ben knew he wouldn't be recognized. He pulled his hat down to shadow his face, sidled up to the bar, and slid a five dollar gold piece toward the man pouring drinks. Tipping his head toward the table where Margot was seated, he asked, "Who's the woman back there?"

The money disappeared into barkeep's apron as he poured Ben a glass of passable whiskey. "Calls herself Margot Cartwright."

Careful not to show any reaction, Ben asked further, "What do you know about her?"

"Mister…you lookin' for a girl, we got 'em, but my advice is to stay away from that one."

"I'm not looking for anything except information about '_that one_.' Tell me what you know."

No one could withstand Ben's glare, and the bartender started talking. "She got here a couple weeks back, saying she was married to Adam Cartwright, from that big ranch called the Ponderosa. Claims the man up and got himself killed in Placerville. Gotta say I wondered why the widow of a rich man was lookin' for work in a saloon, but she said that old-man Cartwright wasn't letting her have any of their money. I had some sympathy for her and hired her on. But mister, I'd run far and fast from her. She's crazy as a rabid skunk and causes nothin' but trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"She gets the guys to buy drinks and then she joins 'em and gets so wound up she starts accusin' them of lyin' to her about lovin' her, finally ending up sobbing until the poor drunks pay her just to shut her up. She has a way of drawing the poor suckers in and then leavin' them wonderin' what hit 'em. I'm gonna let her go right after the cattle auction ends. There's been so many people in town we needed the extra help, but after tomorrow we say good riddance. Fact is she ain't even s'posed to be here now. She don't need to be in til six, but that crazy biddy usually spends the whole day in here."

Ben kept his questions simple. "Do you know where she's staying?"

"Boardin' house back off Main Street. Take a left at the end of the block."

Stepping back from the bar, Ben stared the man down a last time, "Thanks for the information. You won't tell _anyone_ about our conversation. Understand?"

The bartender quickly agreed, "Sure mister. No problem. Never saw you here."

As he moved to the door, Ben took a final look back toward Margot, and didn't notice the man entering the saloon until he collided with him.

The man reproached him, saying "Watch where yer goin', old man."

Stopped in his tracks, Ben eyed the mountain before him. Considering the incredible bulk coupled with the childlike voice, he had no doubt that this was Tiny, the man who had nearly killed his son. Not wanting any trouble or attention, Ben sidestepped him and looked down, muttering, "I'm very sorry," as he quickly exited.

The laughter of young women met Ben as he left Main Street and headed toward the boarding house. He smiled, figuring he would find his youngest son holding court once he got there. He was right.

He stepped inside the open door and saw Joe being entertained by a bevy of young ladies. They were fluttering and giggling while they refilled his coffee cup, and encouraged him to sample another cookie. Ben stood as he often did—hands on hips, legs slightly apart, strait and tall—and waited for someone to notice him. When his patience wore thin, he roared, "Joseph!"

All eyes turned to the entrance and a few startled women caught their breath while some actually shrank in the man's commanding presence. The young man in the middle of the she-wolf pack grinned and made the introductions, "Ladies, I'd like you to meet my father, Ben Cartwright."

The woman who'd staked her claim by sitting closest to Little Joe, whispered, "He looks so stern. Not like you at all."

Speaking softly to those within earshot, Little Joe murmured, "Now you know what I faced every time I did something wrong." After receiving conciliatory pats and coos from those who heard his comment, he stood to address his father. "Pa, we've just been talking about the newest boarder, Margot _Cartwright_," emphasizing the last name for his father's benefit. "I described her to these beautiful ladies and they knew right away who I was talking about. She claims to have married my brother, Adam—who's dead by the way."

Heads nodded throughout the room. Marvelle, the girl nearest Joe, spoke out first. "We're all scared of her. But she says she's leaving as soon as she gets the Cartwright money that rightfully belongs to her." Noticing Ben's shocked expression, she continued, "Little Joe told us that's a lie just like most of the other things she's said."

Another woman spoke up. "We assumed a lot of what she's said was untrue and that was bad enough, but I think she's been stealing from us. Most of us are missing something. A cameo necklace disappeared from my room soon after she moved in next to me. Marvelle lost a gold pin and others had money or special mementos go missing. As far as we're concerned, we'd like to pack her things, put them on the porch and bar the door until she's gone."

Ben inserted his thoughts as the ladies quieted down after agreeing with what had been said. "Thank you for this information, and I'm sure Little Joe is grateful for your hospitality, but we need to get going. We'd appreciate it if you'd say nothing about our visit. We don't want Margot to know that the truth is out before we can alert the authorities to her whereabouts." He motioned for Joe to come as he finished, "I don't mean to frighten you, but I think it would be safest for everyone if you don't confront her about the lies."

Little Joe peeled the ladies off his arms as he met his father at the door. Turning back to the group, he bowed deeply. "I thank all of you for a delightful time. You've been most kind."

Adam was sure that his father's powers of persuasion along with his brother's subtler means of inquisition would find where Margot lived and worked. This allowed him to move to the areas in town where the woman could do the most damage. Both the Reeds and Cartwrights did business, ran tabs at stores and kept money in the banks of Carson City, and he was sure that she'd been on the prowl for any asset that she could latch onto. He estimated that she'd been in town for almost three weeks, and knew he'd find some establishment where she'd shown up with some tears and a sympathetic story.

After stopping off for a quick shave to get rid of his itchy growth of whiskers, he hit pay dirt at the First Bank of San Francisco…

The bank manager was reading from a single sheet of paper as the bell above the door rang to indicate an inbound customer. The paper drifted from his hand as he recognized the man entering. "Mr. Cartwright?" He nearly ran from his office to shake Adam's hand as he added, "Is it really you? I'll admit that you look different with those glasses, but it's so good to see you that you're alive!"

Taken aback, Adam replied, "It's nice to see you too, Mr. Simpson. May I ask what made you think I was…a…not alive?"

Simpson was almost giddy as he ushered Adam behind the tellers' windows into his office. Picking up the letter that had fallen to the floor, he indicated that his guest should sit. "I've just been reading a note from the manager of our branch in Virginia City. It's about you."

"Me?"

"Yes, I sent an inquiry there by currier three days ago, after having an odd conversation with a woman who stopped in."

"Let me guess," Adam speculated. "She was medium height, brown hair, dark eyes and rather attractive…probably went by the name of Margot."

"So you do know her?"

"I wish I could say that I don't. She's been causing problems for my family lately. What sort of story did she tell you?"

"It was the strangest thing." The manager closed his eyes momentarily as he relived the experience. "She came parading in here early last week, demanding to know if you had any accounts with the bank. Unfortunately, when I refused to tell her anything instead of just saying no, she correctly assumed that you did. At that point she started crying, saying that she was married to you a few weeks earlier, and that you'd been killed in a robbery at a Placerville hotel. She even provided details of how it was a spur-of-the-moment marriage and your family didn't know anything about it. Because of that your heartless father wasn't going to give her any money. She said she was waiting here for you, and when she found out you were dead, she had to get work at a saloon to get enough cash to eat. The woman practically swooned as she spoke about losing you, but perked up nicely as she asked to know how much money she might be entitled to."

Adam laughed. "Well, Simpson, that's some story. You can see that dying is the last thing I plan on doing…"

Simpson's eyes narrowed as he considered the pun and finally laughed as well. "You can imagine that I was skeptical, and certainly wouldn't give her any money just from some absurd account of marriage and death. It seemed too far-fetched to be your story, Mr. Cartwright. I've never known you to be recklessly impulsive, or as someone who would marry and not make sure your wife had adequate funds to tide her over. But now that I know the truth, I must admit that she was an expert liar. There were no tells to indicate that she was uneasy or being untruthful."

Adam's brows knit as he said, "I'm not sure what you mean."

"I can usually spot a liar within a few seconds of meeting them. They won't look me in the eye, seem nervous and will wring their hands, or play with their hair as they speak." He grinned slyly at Adam. "You may not believe it, but a lot of people try to lie to bankers. They must think we're easily swayed by a sad story. But this Margot looked me straight in the eyes as she told her tale and never faltered. In fact her show of indignation at being refused was the best I've ever seen. I advised her that I would look into it if she would provide me with both a marriage and death certificate."

"Did that appease her?" Adam asked with a snigger. He was enjoying the story as much as Simpson relished telling the details of his foil to Margot's scheme.

"Seemed to. She said she'd need a few days to get a death certificate from Placerville and that she'd be back when she had it. But as I say, I'm not easily fooled and immediately sent a note to Virginia City asking what they knew about your marriage and demise. I was reading the reply just as you came in. That's what startled me."

Simpson handed over the note, but unable to read the small print, Adam handed it back to the banker. "Would you just summarize what it says? I can't read this print clearly."

"I was wondering about those dark glasses, Mr. Cartwright. I hope there's nothing seriously wrong."

"I'm fine," he replied, "Now about the note?"

"Frank, at the Virginia City branch, replied that he hadn't heard any news about you or any of the Cartwrights. Then he checked with Sheriff Coffee who said he hadn't seen you for a couple of weeks but that he'd have heard something from Placerville if you'd died there. He did make mention of a Margot _Tanner_ who was trying to get money from your family, and suspected that it might be her making the inquiries here."

Adam shook his head, "I'm grateful for your keen sense in this matter, and for your efforts to prove the truth. Do you think she'll come back?"

"She already did. Came in yesterday and said the documents were on the way and wanted to know how much money you had on hand."

His mouth hung open as he took in this latest information. Regaining his composure Adam noted, "She does think I'm dead—but that's a long story I don't have time to share right now. I do wonder if she's getting those documents forged somewhere."

"That's a possibility, but when she was here, I told her I had already checked, and that the accounts at _our_ bank belong to the Ponderosa, not to you as an individual. As such, I couldn't separate your portion from the rest of your family's. Then I directed her to retain an attorney in the matter. After that she went crazy, screaming at me that I was in cahoots with your father to keep her from what rightfully belongs to her. She said she would get that money one way or another."

Adam's mouth hung open again. "What do you think she meant by that?"

The banker chuckled, "I heard that she has some guy following her around like a puppy—a really big guy—and I've told the tellers to be on the lookout for both of them. After seeing how crazed she looked while she was screaming at me, I wouldn't put anything past her."

Adam snorted, finishing with a sad laugh. "You really think she might pull something?"

"You might not have noticed Ernie standing over in the corner holding that shotgun. He's here with firepower, but stays out of sight so as not to jar the regular customers. I don't know what she's capable of perpetrating but also don't want to take any chances—especially with all the people and money in town right now."

Adam stood to shake the man's hand. "I don't think I've ever been more impressed with a banker in my life! Good work, Simpson. Tell me one last thing. Have you heard of any other businesses where she tried to throw the Cartwright name around?"

Sheriff Michaels from Carson City, met with the Cartwrights in their room towards evening to hear what they'd found out. He didn't mind that the family had made the inquiries instead of him. He and Adam had spoken the day before and he'd agreed that it would draw more attention if he was out asking the same questions.

"We had good luck, sheriff," Adam began, "My father and brother located where she works and lives, and I have her pegged for several instances of false claims on our name and business accounts." The sheriff's puzzled look made Adam explain further. "She's using the name Margot Cartwright and has represented herself as being my widow to at least two banks, a dress shop and the general store."

"I see," the sheriff answered, although his puzzled look showed clearly that he didn't see at all. "Why is she doing this? You're obviously not dead, so what's in it for her?"

Ben spoke up, "Sheriff Michaels, my family and I have wondered the same thing. I know that you've heard some things about her, and the truth is that she does whatever seems expeditious at the moment."

"What I find most interesting is that she does think I'm dead." The eyes in the room locked on Adam. "No one could have told her that except the person who tried to murder me. I think that this is our first break."

Joe piped up, "How so?"

Adam had removed his dark glasses earlier and there was no mistaking the gleam in his eyes as he introduced his plan. "We won't ever get Margot to confess if we simply arrest her. She didn't commit the murders of several men even though they bear her signature. So we have to play with her mind a little—turn the tables and get her rattled."

Ben stood behind his son as he had the evening before. "Adam, I wish you'd stay far away from her and that giant she uses as protection. Let the sheriff handle this."

"Pa, there's no real evidence against her in any of this. Her first defense would be to deny all of it. Then she'd say that Tiny did everything. She'd cry and moan about how she had never wanted any of this—that she just found out what he did and was shocked… Tiny can't think or talk fast enough to outwit her, so she'd lie her way clear and put a noose around his neck without a second thought."

"So what are you planning?" Joe spoke up again. "And believe me, after all this buildup, it better be good."

**Six**

**A Ghost in the Wind**

After nightfall, Adam and Joe headed to the CC Saloon, while Ben and the sheriff watched from the shadows of the building entrance next door.

Joe went inside alone to verify that Margot was there, and brought back the good news that she was working a table near the front of the bar. Adam's plan turned on the fact that Margot had never met Joe. He hadn't been at the house the day she'd come to the Ponderosa and he'd been a young child when she'd lived in Virginia City.

It had been a long day, but Adam had been able to rest, so he was reinvigorated and anxious to get on with the plans they'd formulated. Pulling his hat low on his forehead to camouflage the remaining bruising from Tiny's fist, he swung the saloon doors open enough to step inside.

The crowd was heavy and he was able to make his way around the clusters of revelers without bringing attention to himself. To be successful in his ruse required that he remain indistinguishable amid the sea of others so no one would remember him. As luck would have it, he was able to find a space at the bar no more than 20 feet from the table where Margot was hovering over a player in a high-stakes game of poker.

Her voice carried above the din of the room as the dealer shuffled. "You other boys ought to just hand your money over to Slim and go home." She ruffled Slim's hair and leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek. "He's so lucky tonight he's gonna take it from y'all anyway." She laughed loudly and kissed him again. "Then he's gonna buy me a pretty new dress. Ain't ya Slim?"

Slim turned toward Margot as he spat, "Get away from me you cackle-mouthed biddy. I don't want no one lookin' over my shoulder while I play. I'll come get you when I'm done here."

Margot stepped back as undisguised anger rooted in her features. Her eyes narrowed as her lips pursed for a moment. But just as she opened he mouth to speak, she glanced toward the bar and caught sight of Adam. The angry look turned to puzzlement as she gave him a once over.

He waited until she was looking directly at his face before smiling and tipping his hat. Her jaw dropped as she froze, and he used her moment of inaction to make his way to the door.

Margot recovered her senses and headed after him, but as she got to the exit she found it blocked by a young man in a green jacket.

"Hey little lady," he crooned as he slid his arm around her. "Where you headed to so fast? Why don't you come back inside and join me for a drink?"

She pushed Joe's hands away as she asked, "A man just walked out of here. Which way did he go?"

Joe's eyebrows shot up under his hat brim and he gave her a questioning look as he replied, I was getting some fresh air out here, and can guarantee that no one has come through these doors." He flashed a smile, "Now why don't we get a table?"

Margot pushed Joe aside and exited, examining the dark streets. She stood there for a minute; hands on her waist, foot tapping impatiently. But seeing nothing, she swung around and reentered the saloon. She glared at him as she grabbed Joe's jacket and asked again, "You're sure you didn't see anyone going out when you came in?"

"I already told you, lady. You were the only one going out and I was the only one coming in."

She gave him a derisive look and headed back to the poker table.

Looking around the saloon more closely, Joe noted that Tiny was standing watch at a door in the back corner of the room. Given the man's size, it didn't surprise him that the saloon owner would press Tiny into service as a guard over the office where the cash was kept. Joe saw Margot give Tiny a quick look, but just as quickly went back to pushing drinks and favoring those at her table with her comments about their card-playing abilities.

After Margot settled down again, Joe exited the bar and gave out a shrill whistle to signal that it was time for his brother to make a second appearance.

Adam entered the saloon again, this time making his way around the tables until he stood directly behind Margot's chair. Absorbed as she watched the stack of bills accumulating in front of the player named Slim, she had no idea Adam was there until he leaned in close enough for her to hear him say, "Why if it is isn't the lovely Margot Tanner…"

Her head snapped around with vertebrae cracking quickness, but due to careful rehearsal, the only one standing behind Margot was Joe, while Adam's hat bobbed toward the rear exit. Her complexion paled as she screeched at the youngest Cartwright, "Who was that?"

Joe batted his lashes as his forehead creased in question. "What do you mean, ma'am?"

"There was another man who leaned over my shoulder and said something. Where did he go?"

His jaw dropped a bit as if to respond, and then he shook his head. "I've been here for a while now watching these men play cards." He winked at her, "But I assure you that I've been watching you more. You're like a lovely flower in the bouquet of weeds in here tonight, and I'd have noticed if there'd been another guy horning in on me."

She rose and pushed him to the side, saying, "Get out of my way" as she charged in the direction she thought Adam had gone. After looking behind the building, she made her way up the alley to the front and headed toward the shelter where Adam, Ben and Sheriff Michaels were standing. The sheriff began whistling as he stepped from the darkness and doffed his hat at the approaching Margot. "'Evenin' ma'am. Beautiful night, isn't it?

Catching the gleam of the man's badge in the moonlight, she asked. "You're the sheriff in this town?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm Sheriff Michaels. I don't think I've had the pleasure of making your acquaintance."

"I'm Margot Tan…, um, Cartwright. I work in that saloon." She pointed toward the building. "Did you see a man come out of the alley and walk down the street?"

"No, I didn't. I was making my rounds and other than a few rowdy cowhands, it's been pretty quiet. Did you lose someone?"

"No." She sighed heavily. "But someone has been playing a trick on me tonight and I don't' like it one bit."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Margot didn't bother to say goodbye. She turned, uttering a "harrumph" and headed back to the saloon.

After Margot was back inside, the sheriff returned to the store entrance, where Adam shared a report of what had transpired so far.

"From the look on her face when I spoke her name, I think one more 'sighting' is all it will take to get a little action. Tiny's in there too and my guess is that she'll go to him for an explanation. I've been careful not to let him see me, so he won't know what she's talking about."

Adam's shoulders sagged. He had thought it would be interesting to toy with Margot's mind a little, but even this mild deception had been tiring. It left him wondering how anyone could practice a lifetime of such behavior. He shuddered, struck with the massive futility. The truth of Addy's words about Margot speaking a language of lies drifted into his thoughts. He considered whether this was the product of an affected mind, or if continuous dalliances into the act of lying eventually led to a contorted reality. Was it possible to replace truth with whatever lie seemed to be most fitting? His conclusion was that whether the lies were a cause or effect didn't matter. Margot was so deeply imbedded in the language of lies that she destroyed everyone she touched.

His thoughts of Margot waned as he let his mind drift to the other women he'd met along this same journey. Leaning back against the door jamb, he closed his eyes and wondered how Monica and Addy were doing with the Reeds. His acquaintance with them was recent, but he found that he missed them both.

His father's voice broke into his thoughts. "Adam, I really don't want you going back in there, but since this is your plan, you should probably get moving. Joe's waiting for you, and I'd like to see both of you safely out of there as soon as possible."

Adam grimaced as he straightened, and stretched as much as his sore sides would allow. "You're right, Pa. I should get going."

Ben touched his arm. "Don't think I didn't notice that look. I'll go get Joe while you stay here. I think you've done enough for today."

"I'm fine," he replied tersely. "Sorry," he added quickly as his father's eye rounded in surprise. "I'm a little prickly, but I do want to play this hand out."

Adam repeated his earlier route, coming to stand with his back to the bar. This time he waited for her to look up, then saluted Margot and began walking toward her table before veering off toward the door.

Joe ran interference again as she tried to follow his brother. Taking her arm as she turned to leave the table he said lustily, "You know, I've been very patient with you tonight, darlin', and I'm giving you one last chance."

Her voice pitched high enough to alert every dog in Carson, she hollered. "What is it with you! You've been in my way all night, and here you are again. Get this straight, I have no intention of joining you for _anything _tonight, so stay away from me or I'll have you thrown out of here." Her parting, "And that's a promise," was swallowed up by the crowd as she moved around him and hurried toward the door.

The results of her search were the same as before and she returned to the smoke filled room where she walked into Joe…again.

This time he raised his hands in surrender and offered, "What's wrong with you, lady? You look like you've seen a ghost." The comment netted him a hard punch in the gut as she walked past him on her way to see Tiny. The lady and the giant were soon headed out the back while Joe exited the front doors to let the others know that the sparks were about to fly.

The three Cartwrights and Sheriff Michaels made their way quietly down the alley toward the rear of the saloon where they could already hear Margot as she chastised Tiny.

"I thought you killed Adam Cartwright."

The big man's voice sounded apologetic. "I sure did, Margot. I did just like you said I should...made it look like someone was tryin' to rob him."

Her pitch rose. "Well if that's so, then why's he walking around in the saloon tonight, taunting me?"

"He was in our saloon? I didn't see him." He paused, considering whether to give his opinion—then foolishly added, "And I could see the whole room from where I was standin'."

The four men listening in the shadows didn't have to see what was going on to know that Tiny was cowering. His voice sounded slightly muffled, like a man who was turning his head into his shoulder.

"What did you mean by that?" Her words echoed like a slap. "Are you implying that I'm crazy…that he wasn't here…?"

"Nothin' like that, Margot. It's just…"

"Just what?" She demanded.

"It's just that when you get upset, you…well you get to thinking all sorts of things. I saw that player giving you a hard time at the table—even heard when he told you to go away—and maybe…being upset and all…all's you seen was someone that looked like Cartwright."

Margot's voice was deadly. "Listen here, you simpleton, I saw what I saw. Adam Cartwright was here tonight." She paused and finally asked, "You made sure he was dead, didn't you?"

"I laid him out with one punch and then kicked him until he didn't move no more and I didn't see him breathin', but…" Tiny knew he'd said too much even as the "but" left his mouth.

"But?"

"I had to duck out the window when Miss Monica knocked at his door and called out to him."

"So am I hearing you right? You _don't know_ that he was actually dead?"

"I heard Miss Monica scream out that he was dead after she went into the room, so I figgered it was so." He scuffed the dirt with his boot, the cloud of dust making its way into the moon-lit alley where the others watched. "I think there's just a guy in there that looks like Cartwright and it's edgin' you some."

Adam and Joe ducked deeper into the shelter of the barrels they were hiding behind as Margot paced along the wall of the building—stopping only feet from them—before turning back.

"Please don't be mad with me, Margot. You know I cain't stand it when you's mad at me. I did just like you wanted me to. I always done just like you asked me to."

"Always, Tiny? You say you always do what I tell you to? If that's so, then why is that worthless little coward, Jake Reed, still walking this earth? His grandparents are still alive too. Why is that Tiny?" Her voice was a near screech as she asked again, "Why is that, Tiny?"

He scuffed the dirt again. "I went out there last night like you asked me to and looked around, but there was no way to do what I was gonna do. That old man was sitting watch on his porch with a shotgun. I even snuck closer, but they had all manner of wire and cans strung up around the outside of the house. I couldn't even get close to it without settin' somethin' off. I'll go back and do it tomorrow night, I promise."

"You better do just that, Tiny, or I might have to tell the sheriff a about a lot of other things you like to do." Margot sounded cold as ice. "And when you finish with the Reeds, we'll head to Virginia City." She stopped talking, trying to remember why she was upset to begin with. "So you're sure that Adam Cartwright is dead?"

"No man coulda lived through what I did to him."

Margot seemed in control again as she answered more gently, "You usually do real good with what I ask of you, Tiny. Maybe you're right. It is probably just someone who looks like him. You go on back inside and keep your eyes open and I'll give you a signal if I see the guy again."

After the couple reentered the building, Ben rose stiffly from the crates he'd been behind and walked toward the door as well. Turning back toward the others, he ordered, "Well I've heard enough; they admitted to trying to kill Adam and planning to get the Reeds. Let's go arrest them."

Adam caught up to him and steered him back toward the group. "Pa, we can't do that yet."

"Why not!" It was not a question.

Sheriff Michaels explained. "Sheriff Andrews and your son have told me that Margot and Tiny are suspected of causing several deaths and I think that was confirmed in their conversation. That's what we want to get them for. If we take them into custody now, they'll only stand trial for assault."

Ben didn't give up. "But you heard Tiny say he'd been out to the Reeds' place. They'd be dead now if you hadn't warned them to be careful."

"We only overheard a conversation, Mr. Cartwright." The Sheriff paused, "And if we took them now, they would never admit to any of the other mayhem they've created. They'd walk free in a few months."

Ben leaned back against the building, resting his hands against his knees as his head drooped forward. "I don't understand." He looked up, meeting Adam's gaze. "What was this all about tonight if it wasn't to get evidence against her in your beating?"

Leaning next to his father, Adam explained, "It was about that, Pa. Now we have real proof that she's behind Tiny's attacks and can use it against her. And because of what we did tonight, Margot has some doubts and her control slipped." Adam chuckled humorlessly. "I know this seem odd, but it's the hand we've been dealt, and it'll be a winning hand if we play it right."

Ben shook his head as he sighed, "A person used to commit a crime and they were arrested. But this seems more about catching people off-guard, gaining leverage and having them turn against each other to get the truth. Is that about right?"

The group began to walk from the alley as Adam concluded, "That's exactly right. This is complicated because Margot is complicated. What we did tonight was to get her thinking. She's been passing herself off as my widow around town, and after seeing me she must be thinking about being proven a liar and fool again. That can't sit well with her. If I'm right, losing control of a situation haunts her more than any guilt over what she's done."

Joe questioned, "So where do we go from here?"

Adam stopped and addressed his family and Sheriff Michaels, "We get some rest now. Sheriff Andrews will arrive from Placerville tomorrow, and the Reeds, Hoss and the Placerville ladies are coming to town. Then we'll have everyone we'll need to finally shake a little truth out of Margot Tanner."

**Seven**

**The More We Work Together**

Adam was up at the crack of dawn making arrangements, but was back at the hotel in time to greet the Reeds' wagon as it pulled into town. He shook hands with Hoss, Cal and Jake, and gave each woman a quick peck on the cheek as he assisted them to the ground.

As the group headed into the hotel, Adam led Monica away to a private alcove and kissed her. "I missed you," he breathed into her hair as their embrace continued.

Monica admitted, "It was nice being with the Reeds, but I was thinking of you so much that Addy had to elbow me several times to get me to pay attention."

Sheriff Andrews had arrived on the stage, and had joined the rest of the group in the Cartwrights' suite. Sheriff Michaels began things by recounting what they'd found out about Margot's time in Carson City. As he finished, Adam told them about what they'd heard in the alley the night before, including Monica's admission of ordering his death, and her threats toward the Reed family.

"Wow," Hoss murmured. "Y'all found out a lot about her in a short time." He looked with respect at Cal. "I'm not surprised that Tiny might've had a few problems getting to the Reed's place. You all should see the crazy fence Cal put around the house. I was wonderin' if it was necessary, but I'm doggone glad now that he did it."

Adam nodded. "I'm glad you took the sheriff's warning seriously too, Cal." He moved to the center of the room. "Getting back to our purpose today… I suspect that even as good a liar as Margot is, not getting her way with the Reeds, and seeing me last night shook her confidence. Her plans have not gone right since she arrived in Virginia City, and she's built a house of cards that's ready to collapse."

Cal questioned, "So how do we finally get this woman?"

Adam became animated as he outlined the plan he'd proposed to Sheriff Michaels earlier. He concluded his remarks with the encouragement, "This will work. Margot's already a little off-balance, and we'll force her to confront all her lies and schemes at once, making it impossible for her to get all her lies straight. It will seem to her that her entire life has been laid out in front of her. I don't think even the best of liars can withstand that without faltering." He watched as knowing looks replaced the doubtful ones. "Any questions?"

Sara was the first to say with conviction, "What do I get to do?"

"It will be fairly simple. I'll go over how this might work best and help you rehearse what you want to say to her."

There was no script they could follow since they didn't know for sure how the encounter with Margot would go. But they each went over what they would say to her if the opportunity arose. Ben volunteered to be the first to confront her when the timing seemed right. The rest would take their cue from him.

As they finished up with those plans, Monica called for the group's attention.

"I know that most of us met recently, but we have experiences and people that bind us together. And today we need to be thankful for a number of things. First off, Jake told the truth to the Cartwrights and stopped Margot in her tracks." She looked toward the boy. "We know that couldn't have been easy, Jake, and your mama would be so proud of you."

Monica waited while the others added their thoughts about Jake's bravery before continuing. "As a group we've finally been able to understand what Margot is like. Adam asked questions, listened, and nearly paid the ultimate price for being our detective. I think I speak for all us when I say we're mighty glad he's still alive and hopefully his plan today will put an ending on this nightmare story."

Cal spoke next. "Before we head out to do this, I'd like to tell you of a few plans we made yesterday. Our farm isn't doing well and we only stayed there in case Missy came home one day. But now that we know the truth, we'll be moving on. Jake misses his friends, and Monica has work for both Sara and me, so we'll head on over to Placerville when this is finished. Addy is moving to the hotel so we stay at her house where Jake feels at home. We'll buy it from her once we get our bearings again."

"It's interestin' how good things can work out of really bad circumstances," Hoss opined. "Seems like Margot did a lot of damage and yet good people can always find a way to stick together."

Adam broke into the silence that had followed Hoss's statement to ask that the group move to the private dining room he'd reserved for lunch.

Once the meal was finished, the two sheriffs left to take positions watching the front and rear of the boarding house where Margot lived. Their job was to make sure that she'd comply with the summons she was about to receive.

Adam made sure that everyone was ready to go, and then sent the hotel messenger to the boarding house with the note he'd penned earlier.

It read:

_Miss Tanner…or perhaps I should write, 'Mrs. Cartwright,'_

_You will report to the Carson City Hotel as soon as possible. Tell the desk clerk that you're here to see a man about a horse and he will bring you to me. This meeting is not optional. You are being watched, so don't try to run or enlist Tiny's help before coming._

_Don't delay. We have much to discuss._

The residents of the boarding house were abuzz.

Marvelle entered the parlor in the midst of the ado and was finally able to shush the other enough to ask, "What are you all so worked up about?"

A petite, dark-haired young woman named Luanne spoke up. "Someone from the hotel showed up about ten minutes ago with a note for Miss Margot."

"What do you think was in the note?" Marvelle asked

"We don't have to 'think,' we know." Luanne held up the piece of paper Margot had dropped in her haste. "It doesn't say who it's from, but demands her presence at the hotel. She sure got skittish after she read it. I think Margot 'whoever-she-is' was purely scared out of her wits. You should have seen her run outta here!"

"We know who it's from," Marvel snorted, and then added with a grin, "I sure would like to see those Cartwright men in action. It seems like a lovely day for a walk so I might just take a stroll to the hotel for some tea."

Within minutes, five young ladies were on their way to the hotel in hopes of seeing what was left of their least-favorite border after the Cartwrights got through with her.

**Eight**

**When a Cunningly Brilliant Plan Goes Awry**

Hoping to keep the look of a working dining room intact, Adam asked that the staff leave the dishes in place and remain in the kitchen after lunch until he sent word for them to come out. He was grateful to see how calm everyone in this odd little group seemed to be. In fact there seemed to be no signs of nervousness as the groups at the tables engaged in conversation.

Adam was seated next to Addy, and he appreciated that she didn't try to engage him in conversation. She'd told him at their first meeting that she'd become an expert at paying attention to what went on around her and he assumed that she was doing that now, just as he was. But as he checked the clock again she gave him a nudge.

Addy leaned across the table. "Monica…" She waited for the young woman to look at her. "I think we better be very careful of our facial expressions from now on." When Monica's brows formed a distinct V indicating she had no idea what Addy was talking about, the old woman laughed. "I think Adam's vision has cleared. I've noticed him checking the time over there," she pointed at a grandfather clock standing across the room from their table. "A couple days ago, he wouldn't have even seen that clock, but I bet now he can even see the Seth Thomas name on the case." Looking toward Adam, she asked, "Am I right, dear?"

His affirmative nod brought a happy yelp from Monica, but there was no time to get any details as Sheriff Andrews entered the room with news that Margot was on her way.

Adam moved to sit alone at the middle table while the rest of the players made sure their backs were toward the entrance and center of the room, and continued talking quietly to provide a seemingly normal ambiance.

A few minutes later, the desk clerk escorted a pale, disheveled looking Margot Tanner to Adam's table.

She sat while removing the hat that was sliding from her head, and issued an accusatory, "So it was you playing games with me last night." Her anger eased as she calmed herself with a deep breath and flashed a solicitous smile, "I heard that you were killed in a robbery attempt in Placerville, so you can imagine my shock at seeing you here. I was so distraught that I convinced myself it was just someone who looked like you."

Adam's half-smile resembled a cat that has just seen a mouse sniff the bait in a trap. "I was just having a little fun, Margot. But then again, maybe I should have insisted on my privileges as your _husband_." He let that float for a moment. "You can imagine my surprise when the bank president here in town informed me of my recent marriage…and death." She remained stolid as he continued. "Getting married, especially to you, is something I think I'd remember."

Margot drew herself up straighter in the chair and stuck her chin out defiantly. "After I'd heard that you'd died, I thought back to what you'd said back in Virginia City about being willing to help me if I'd just asked instead of trying to get money from your pa. So I assumed you wouldn't mind if I'd benefit a little from your death."

"How fortunate that my death could work out so well for you," Adam smirked, "But I suppose it _would_ have been…criminal…for you to allow such an opportunity to go to waste. How were you going to prove our 'marriage'…a forged certificate?"

She reached for his hand as she tipped her head coyly. "Don't be mad, darling. I think there's probably a way that we can work this out without any harm to you…or me."

Adam pointed toward the doorway where Sheriff Michaels now stood guard. "I'm afraid there's got to be some harm to you…_darling_. Consider it your down payment for all the lies you've told and the lives you've ruined." He made a tsking sound as he shook his head. "The sheriff over there has a nice suite all prepared for you at the jail. He's got you dead-to-rights for falsifying information to the bank and stores here in Carson, and he was with me last night when we heard you ask Tiny if he was certain he killed me…at your request. So you're going to face prosecution for two crimes at a minimum."

Margot rose as her eyes darted around the room looking for a way out. Her jaw sagged as she saw the only other exit being guarded by Sheriff Andrews. She hissed, "What is _he _doing here?"

Adam remained smooth and in control. "Seems you left a lot of questions behind in Placerville, _darling_, and since you're already going to be in custody, Andy came over to see if he could get a few answers."

Margot's voice became ragged as she fought to control her panic. "What are you talking about? I admit I lied about being your wife, but I was desperate."

Ben saw his opportunity. He stood and turned toward her as he said, "I've heard that excuse before. Isn't that the same reason you gave Adam for trying to extort money from me?"

Her eyes were wild, yet she didn't back down. "You deserved a little trouble for all the pain you put me through. Adam would have married me twelve years ago if it hadn't been for you."

He laughed loudly. "The truth is I'd have known if my son had ever wanted to marry you."

Margot's chortled mockingly, "I bet you didn't think he was telling you the truth the day I brought Jake out there. You stood there like a stuck pig wondering how to fix the mess your boy had made!"

"For a moment I did wonder if Adam had a son. But only because I couldn't believe that anyone would use a child to line their own pockets. You asked Jake to lie for you too, telling him it was for his own good—that he had to do it so his grandparents would take him in. What kind of person would do that?"

Cal and Sara rose next as Cal asked. "And what kind of person would lie to keep a family apart? Why did you tell our daughter that we wouldn't want her once she had Jake? You took away twelve years of our lives."

Sara looked straight at Margot as she asked, "Did you kill our daughter? It seems you had no problem telling someone to kill Mr. Cartwright, so did you do the same thing to Missy when she found out that you'd been lying to her all those years?"

Margot scanned the room, now seeing more familiar faces staring back at her. "Well isn't this special. All my friends assembled to watch me go to jail." She shouted, "You're all crazy!" then sat, leaning forward on the table to shield her face in her hands.

Jake spoke next. He'd been told that he didn't have to say anything or even come if he didn't want to. But he'd assured them that he needed to be there. "Auntie Margot, what did you do to my father? My grandma and grandpa say I can't hate anyone, but I think I do hate you. You took away my mother and my father and I'll never understand why."

She lifted her head as she spoke sweetly to him. "You just don't understand Jake. Your ma and pa were too dumb to know what was good for them. Everything would have been fine if your ma had just listened to me."

Hoss caught the youngster as he rushed toward Margot, flailing at her with his fists. Sara helped him take Jake from the room as Monica and Addy came over to Adam's table.

Addy was the next to speak. "And what about the men that wanted to marry Missy even before Jake's pa came back into her life? Were they too stupid to know what was best?"

"What are you babbling about you old crone?" With Jake gone, Margot regained her indignation.

"And how about Marcus?" Monica questioned. "Was he just another person who got in your way? I know it was you who sent the note and arranged his fall at the mine. Once we all started talking about the many deaths that happened during the years you were in Placerville, we began to notice that they all traced back to you."

"You're all crazy!" she screamed again as she passed from being enraged to feeling trapped again. She played the only card she thought was left; she turned to Adam. Moving around the table to him, she knelt, grasping his legs as she looked up and cried, "Do something, Adam! These people are telling horrible lies about me! I know you love me. You can stop this and send them away."

Adam stood as he pulled her to her feet. "Send them away, Margot? "Why I'm the one who invited them here. Sending them away would ruin our little reunion."

She was undaunted and continued professing her love while trying to embrace him as Hoss led Tiny into the room.

The same messenger who'd taken the note to the boarding house had found Tiny and told him that Margot needed his help.

Once inside, Sheriff Michaels moved to Tiny's side and said, "We've just been asking your friend, Margot, about some of the untimely deaths that occurred in Placerville while the two of you lived there. Might there be something you'd like to say about that?"

Tiny didn't answer the sheriff. He could only see Margot scrabbling at Adam while professing her love. It took him five strides to reach them. Yanking Margot away from Adam, he cried out, "What are you doing?"

Tears were streaming down his face as he took her shoulders and stared directly at her. "You love me, not him, Margot. Tell him that! I always done what you told me to because you said you loved me. I killed them three men for you because you said they was hurting you and Missy; I burned down your folks house when you said they was gonna take you away from me. I even went to Arizona to get that Seeley guy when you said he was making trouble for you. I did everthin' you ever asked me all those years because I thought you loved _me_." He howled like an animal. "And now I find you here makin' love to this weaklin' you said was gonna get us both arrested if I didn't kill him. He never done nothin' for you." He let Margot go as his head drooped. His final thought was voiced softly, in defeat. "Maybe that Marcus fella was right. He said you were the craziest loon he ever did have the misfortune to come upon…just before I shoved him off the cliff."

Those in the room seemed paralyzed by hearing the truth they'd all suspected. They each were faced with the pure evil of a person who indiscriminately rid herself of anyone she didn't like. It had been so easy; all she had to do was lie to a sad, lonely man like Tiny. Stuck in this trance-like state, no one expected what happened next, least of all, Adam.

When the big man looked up again, he stepped forward and grabbed Adam's neck, lifting him into the air like a rag doll. Tiny screamed, "Why didn't you just stay dead!"

Sheriff Andrews cut through the man's anguish, advising sternly, "Let Mr. Cartwright go, Tiny."

Tiny never took his eyes off Adam as he cried out, "All of you stay back or I'll snap his neck like a branch!"

Adam tried to free himself by kicking and pulling at the strong hands, but the compression of his trachea took its toll in seconds, leaving him limp in Tiny's grasp, barely able to breathe.

The Cartwrights had drawn their pistols and were moving in to help, but stopped short with Tiny's warning.

From behind him, Sheriff Michaels warned, "I've got my gun pointed at your back, Tiny. Put the man down or I'll shoot."

Desperate to find a way to save his son, Ben looked to Margot. "For heaven's sake, tell Tiny that he means something to you." He breathed easier as she touched the big man's shoulder; his hope died with her words.

"You always were a fool, Tiny. You can't hold a candle to Adam. He's handsome, rich and smart. How would you ever think I'd choose you over him? Go back to sweeping floors in the saloon where you belong."

With an eerie howl, Tiny hoisted Adam even higher off the ground and shrieked, "I'm gonna kill him good this time, Margot. Once he's dead you won't never think about him."

A bullet exploded from Sheriff Michael's gun, ripping into Tiny's back with deadly accuracy. With his last strength, Tiny pulled Adam closer for leverage and threw him across the room.

Sheriff Michaels moved in to handcuff Margot as Tiny fell.

Kneeling over the dying man, Sheriff Andrews asked, "Did you kill Missy too, Tiny?"

Tears were still running down Tiny's cheeks as he shook his head no. "I couldn't kill her. She was good. Margot told me she fixed the hitch so's it would come apart, then laughed when she told me how the wagon rolled onto Missy. Said she only wanted to scare her, but it weren't no skin off her nose to have her dead neither." A great gush of air seemed to deflate him as he exhaled his last breath."

Unfazed by the death, Margot spat at the sheriff, "You don't believe a word he said, do you? The man was an idiot."

Sheriff Michaels turned his prisoner and pointed to the dead man on the floor. "Seems like the idiot was smart enough to give us the information we'll need to let you join him real soon. They don't usually hang women, but in this case, I think there might be an exception." He shoved her roughly toward the door.

Margot passed the women she'd lived with in the boarding house as the sheriff led her by her handcuffs through the lobby.

Marvelle couldn't resist the urge to call out, "Those are some mighty fine bracelets Margot. Did you buy those with your inheritance?" The prisoner sent her a contemptuous look, prompting Marvelle to add, "Where should we send your things, your highness? Perhaps the Gray Bar Hotel?"

At first glance Ben had thought that Tiny had made good on his promise, and had snapped his son's neck as he'd thrown him. He'd run to Adam during the deathbed confession and found him on the floor with his head resting at an odd angle. Relief flooded over him as Adam began to cough and rub at his neck.

"How you doing, son?" He asked as he helped him to sit up.

The movement made Adam gasp as he reached for his side "Give me your neckerchief, Pa." When Ben continued to stare without acting, he added, "Hurry…please."

"What's going on?" Ben asked as he untied the fabric and handed it over.

"I'll tell you in a minute. Right now, ask Hoss and Joe to give me a hand while you send Cal and the ladies back to the room."

Ben didn't waste time questioning further. He sent the brothers to Adam while he convinced Cal to leave. It wasn't as easy with Monica and Addy.

"I'll go as soon as I talk to Adam." Monica stared at Ben, daring him to challenge her.

"You might as well let her go, Mr. Cartwright. She's not easily discouraged." Addy gave Ben a look of understanding. "I promise we'll be brief."

He looked over, noting that his eldest was now sitting at a table, and allowed the women go to him. "Keep it short," he ordered. He took Monica's arm gently as she passed him, holding her for a moment to add, "Please respect my wishes on this."

Walking toward the table with her, Ben's fatherly concern began to send him warning signals. He could see that Adam had beads of perspiration forming on his forehead and was leaning hard against the table top. Others might not note the difference between Adam's predisposition to lean, and when his lean indicated that he was in trouble—but Ben did. There was no doubt which this was.

Monica sat at the table and asked, "Did Tiny hurt you badly?"

He answered truthfully, "I think he stretched my neck. I might even be an inch or two taller now, but hedidn't hurt me."

"Is there anything you'd like us to do, Adam? Your father says we should go upstairs to see Sara, but I'm more worried about you."

"I don't want you two fussing over me." He smiled at Monica and covered her hands with his. "I need to talk to the sheriff while we wait for the undertaker. In spite of what Tiny did, my family will make sure that he's taken care of properly. He never stood a chance against Margot."

Addy eased up behind Monica. "It's time we leave these men to their duties, young lady. I'm sure Cal will forget much of what happened and we owe it to Sara to make sure she hears all the details."

Addressing Adam, Addy cautioned, "Don't overdo it. I doubt any of us can believe what we did today thanks to you and your cunning plan, and we don't want you dying on us now."

Adam nodded. "You two made sure I got the information I needed, and then kept me alive long enough to figure out what to do."

"Speaking for me, it was my pleasure to give you a hand. I'd suspect Monica agrees." Addy noted that Adam smiled broadly as she expressed this opinion. But his smile faded rapidly, and she began to worry. She wasn't sure exactly what to call the color of Adam's normal skin tone, but the distinctive gray it appeared now was not "normal." Even the smile had briefly become a grimace as he fought to control his features. Her instincts flashed; she had a pretty good idea what was going on, but respected his desire for privacy. "Come on, Monica, we'll get the Reeds and head out to finish packing. That way when Adam is done here, his room will be cleared and he'll be able to rest. He needs that more than anything else right now."

Ben stood protectively near his son. "When are you planning to leave for Placerville?"

Monica continued looking at Adam as she replied, "There's a stage west tomorrow afternoon. Addy, Sara and I will take that home while Jake and Cal bring the wagon with their things."

Addy continued, "Cal says it'll take a few days to get there with the load they'll be hauling. With us going on ahead we'll start to get things ready on our end." She touched Monica. "Let's go, dear."

Monica looked up at Addy and back to Adam, and sighed as she rose.

Adam brought her hands to his lips before releasing them. "I never got the chance to compliment you on hatching a cunning plan of your own. I'm glad that Jake will have all of you around him."

Addy tugged Monica toward the door, as she bade goodbye to the rest of the Cartwrights.

His forced smile continued until the door swung shut behind them. Only then did Adam allow himself to collapse onto the tabletop—unconscious.

Hoss moved into action, pulling his brother from the table as he wrapped him in the cloth. "Where's the nearest doctor?" he demanded loudly.

One of the hotel staff spoke up. "Go out the back door and turn right. Take the stairs up at the fourth building. Doctor Fredericks is old, but still a better doctor than most."

Cradling Adam in his arms he took off at a run with his father and Little Joe close behind.

Ben caught up. "What in blazes is going on?" But the words died in his mouth as he saw the large red stain saturating the white tablecloth. "What happened? He just told those women that Tiny didn't hurt him."

Hoss tried to explain as he climbed the steps towards the doctor's office. "Tiny _didn't_ hurt him."

Still not comprehending, Ben asked, "Well he's obviously hurt! He should have been looked at ten minutes ago instead of sitting there like nothing was wrong."

At the top of the stairway Hoss kicked the door open and rushed into the office. Flabbergasted looks from waiting patients followed him as he continued into the examination room. He laid his brother gently onto the narrow metal table after the doctor pointed to it saying, "There!" Hoss leaned to Adam's ear, saying, "You're gonna be jest fine, big brother. I guarantee it."

Little Joe took his father back to the waiting room after the doctor told everyone but Hoss to leave while he did an exam. "Come on, Pa. I'll explain what happened while the doc takes a look."

Ben was reeling and held on to Joe's arm for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he regained his equilibrium, and said, "You better tell me something right now or I'm going back in there."

"Me and Hoss had a minute with Adam while we gave him a hand. He told us he wasn't hurt by the fall, but he thought he'd been hit by the same bullet that killed Tiny. He even laughed about it, saying it probably just grazed him. He'd already stuffed your neckerchief over it and didn't seem to be in much pain. We helped him sit up and sort of draped the tablecloth around him so no one would notice the little bit of blood on his shirt. He seemed fine at first but both Hoss and I noticed he was having trouble sitting up towards the end. We moved to help him but he gave us one of his looks and we backed away. I'll say this…if Monica hadn't left when she did, we'd have escorted her out."

Shaking his head, Ben repeated his earlier question. "Surely he realized that he was hurt more than he let on. Why wait?"

"You already know the answer to that, Pa. Adam didn't want to draw any attention to himself; you would've felt the same way. Everything went the way he hoped it would—with one exception—and you know how hard it is for him to admit that he didn't plan for every possibility. I think he wanted to hold on long enough to let the others leave without worry." He patted his father's back. "Don't look so glum, Pa. He's a Cartwright and it takes more than a second-hand bullet to kill one of us."

"I suppose you're right, but that doesn't make me worry less." He thought a moment, deciding what needed to be done. "Joe, I'd like you to find both sheriffs and tell them what's happening…but ask them not to say anything to the others."

After Joe was gone, he reentered the exam room. Doctor Fredericks looked up warily, but Ben forestalled him from speaking. "Don't ask me to leave again, doctor. I'm staying with my son."

The doctor continued looking over Adam's wound as a crooked smile briefly replaced his serious manner. "I thought it was you, Mr. Cartwright. Is this gentleman with the bullet in his gut the same one I tended some years back after he was shot? 2

Ben looked at the nameplate on the desk: Neil Fredericks, M.D. The memory of that hard time came crashing back. "Yes, he is."

Adam moaned as the physician inserted a needle-nosed clamp into the wound, and probed gently. "I see a lot of recent bruising on his chest and face. Was he severely beaten recently?"

Hoss supplied, "Yes, I think it happened about a week ago."

Doctor Fredericks laid his instrument down as he stood and faced Ben. "How did he end up in a situation like this?"

Ben growled. "I'll explain later. Now I just want you to tell me how bad it is."

"I'm not sure yet. I was hoping it was a simple gunshot, but can't feel the slug where I thought it would be. I'll have to open up the wound a bit to find it and repair the damage it may have caused." He placed a heavy pad over the oozing wound and asked Hoss to apply pressure. "Let me talk to the patients out there and clear the office."

When they were alone, Hoss asked, "How does he know us, Pa? I don't never recall seeing him before."

"Doctor Fredericks tended to Adam the time he nearly bled to death after being shot by that trail hand. He usually came to the house when you were in school."

Ben didn't hear Hoss's answer. His mind drifted back to when Adam stood in his first gunfight at age 17…and lost. He still didn't understand how the boy survived the massive blood loss from a nicked artery, yet he stopped questioning it long ago and accepted the miracle.

He'd brought Doctor Fredericks over from Carson City when it'd happened. There had been no doctors in Virginia City back then, and Doctor Fredericks had agreed to make the trip to the Ponderosa. He hadn't been able to do much even though he'd returned several times. The wound had healed in days, but Adam had remained "asleep" for weeks with no noticeable signs of improvement. Doctor Fredericks had been sure that he would never wake up, and had gone so far as to suggest that Ben find a good hospital where Adam could be well cared for until he died. However, he'd eventually confided to Ben that he'd been won over by the Cartwright's positive attitude. He'd said that even if Adam never woke up, his family was doing everything they could to make his life as full as it could be.

And one day, Adam had awoken. He had a few memory problems at first, but he'd compensated by reading and studying harder than ever. Before long he was not only better, but far beyond where'd he been before the incident, and had left for school on schedule. He'd never discussed it with his son, but Ben was sure that Adam had put those dark days behind him and had never looked back.

Ben had not forgotten. In fact he'd been remembering the incident when he'd been staring at Adam in the restaurant the other night. Life could be taken away so easily; he knew that. And although he'd lived through much personal loss, he wondered if he could live through the death of one of his children. That thought had always invaded his heart and dreams any time one of his boys were seriously ill or hurt.

_ And now…have my worst fears come true?_ Ben's heart raced as he saw his son lying there—looking as he did all those years ago. _Will this be like last time? Will he linger in sleep again, and maybe this time…not wake up? Was his last recovery a deferment of death? And if so, is the payment due? _The questions roiled in his mind as he waited for the doctor to return. _Why does Adam always pay so dearly for helping others and doing what's right? He lives by a different code than most men, and charges into the fray without thought to his own safety. Why…?_

The answer came in blinding clarity. _This is who he's always been, and he'll always be this way. He will never seek glory for his actions, nor walk away from a challenge because it's too hard or requires everything he has. It's how I raised him…he is my son, and it is our way._

Knowing that he had to turn his son's care over to a stranger again didn't alleviate his anxiety, but he stemmed the fear by turning to the one who might have a say in whether Adam would live or die. Looking up, he prayed for God's mercy, divine care…and another miracle.

Doctor Fredericks reentered the room and took charge. "I've sent for my wife to assist in the surgical procedure; she'll be here shortly." He looked directly at Ben. "I know you think you want to stay here for this, but I know how difficult it is for a parent to watch their child in pain. so I'll ask that you wait in the outer room."

"I won't leave him alone."

"He won't be alone. I need your other son's help." He looked to the big man across the table; "Your name is Hoss, correct?" He saw Hoss nod as he continued, "I don't want to sedate Adam until I know where the bullet is located, and he's not going to like it much when I start digging." The doctor looked up as he heard Ben 's sharp inhalation. He tipped his head in Ben's direction as he spoke to Hoss. "Sounds like your father disagrees with my plans."

"I don't have the background to disagree, doctor. But I've heard of new ways to mask the pain of such procedures. Doctor Martin, from Virginia City mentioned it. I think he called it anesthesia; he said it could revolutionize surgery."

Fredericks continued to cut Adam's shirt away without looking up. "I know Doctor Martin quite well, and you may certainly review my treatment with him. You're probably referring to the use of ether or chloroform. I have both available, and while they have their purpose, the side effects are often severe. What I want to do is to make a shallow incision to open up the path the bullet took. Hopefully, that will let me find and remove it quickly. Adam will be in pain for a few minutes at most and I'll give him something to sedate him as soon as I'm finished. He won't remember the pain. But if I can't find the slug easily or there's damage that I have to repair, I'll use the ether to make sure he's comfortable." He looked up at Ben. "Does that satisfy you?"

Ben said sheepishly, "I wasn't implying…."

The doctor cut him off. "Yes, you were, Mr. Cartwright. I know our first experience together may have left some doubts, but back then there was little I could do for Adam. This time there is, and I promise that I will do the best I can for him." Not waiting for an answer, he turned to Hoss again. "Your brother is unconscious, but he's still reacting to pain and you'll have to hold him still. Can you do that without passing out or throwing up?"

Hoss spoke adamantly, "Yessir, Won't say that I'll like it much, but I'll do whatever you need me to." He walked over to his father, "Pa, one of us should go over to the hotel and make sure them folks leave out to the Reeds' place before they get wind of this and show up here." When his father didn't reply, he added, "You're a better liar than I am, Pa; you should go."

Ben's angry, "What do you mean by that," made Hoss take a step back.

"Sorry, Pa. That didn't come out as I intended. I know you don't lie, but you skirt around the truth better than I do, that's for certain. If them nice ladies ask me about Adam, I'll get to hemmin' and hawin' while my face turns red. They'd know for certain that I wasn't telling the whole story and would pester me until I confessed everything. But you'll keep your poker face and assure them that they shouldn't worry—all while escorting them out the door."

Ben entered the same door they'd run out of no more than 30 minutes earlier and was surprised to find the dining room nearly restored to order. The floor planks were still wet from being scrubbed free of Tiny's blood, but otherwise, there was no evidence of the earlier turmoil.

A familiar voice called to him from the group of people standing near the main entrance.

"Hey, Pa! I was just telling the sheriffs why we left here so fast."

Sheriff Michaels walked over at brisk pace. "What's the word on Adam? Your son told us what happened. I aimed for the chest to make sure Tiny would drop fast…never even considered that slug wouldn't stay where I sent it."

"I know you meant no harm." He shook the man's offered hand.

Sheriff Andrews and Joe made their way over as well, hoping for news of Adam's condition.

Ben refocused on his mission. "Before I forget, let's make sure the Reeds have left before talking about this. I don't want them walking in on us and hearing something they shouldn't."

Sheriff Andrews answered, "No need to worry about that, Mr. Cartwright. Addy had that group gathered and on their way in five minutes. And she made sure they didn't come back into this room before they left."

"They were gone by the time I got back, Pa, so I don't think there's any way they found out about Adam." Little Joe came to stand by his father. "So? They can't be done yet…unless." He paled as he considered the option that might have allowed his father to leave.

"The doctor is waiting for his wife to arrive. I just came over…" he smiled wryly. "I think I'm here because Hoss wanted me out of there."

Hoss's mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton covered in bone-meal, and he hadn't said a word since his father had left. He watched as Doctor Fredericks shaved the hair from Adam's abdomen, and obeyed as he was given a basin with soap and water and told to scrub around the wound. While he did that, the doctor lit a number of lamps surrounded by mirrored plates meant to reflect the light downward toward the surgical table.

The combination of the oozing blood, hot lamps and bright light had Hoss feeling woozy. He jumped when Doctor Fredericks came up behind him and touched his back.

"You're looking a little pale, son. Take a deep breath or two, bend your knees a couple times and then get back to washing. The cleaner his skin is, the less chance of infection. You promised me you could handle this and I'm holding you to your word."

He mumbled, "I'll be fine." Taking a couple of breaths cleared his head, and a thorough stretch eased the tight muscles as he went back to work.

The bell above the outer door rang, breaking the silence. "That must be my wife. I'll go let her know what's going on and we'll get ready. Keep washing until I get back."

Alone with his brother, Hoss said quietly, "Hey, Adam. Yer gonna owe me for this when you get better. I don't mean you gotta give me a bath or nothin' like that. I'll think'a somethin' good when the time comes." He leaned in closer as his voice turned more serious. "I don't think you're gonna like what's comin', but it's gotta be done. I'll be holdin' you down at first and you'll probably wonder why I'm contributin' to yer pain instead of helpin' you. The doc says you might not remember anythin' and I'm hopin' that's true. But in case you do, jest know that I'd never do nothin' to hurt you on purpose. You can always pop me one in the jaw when this is over to make up for it."

The doctor and his wife were wearing white robes over their clothes when they entered the room. "This is my wife, Lonnie," he said to Hoss. "She'll be assisting me with the surgery, but we'll need your muscle. I've already warned you that this won't be easy. No matter how much you hurt for your brother or think you can help him, you must not reach into the area where we're working or try to stop us." Lonnie poured alcohol over Dr. Frederick's hands as he asked Hoss, "Do you understand?"

Hoss could only manage a nod as he carried the basin he'd been using to the side table. Reclaiming his voice he said, "Tell me what to do."

Adam groaned loudly as Doctor Fredericks pressed around the wound to assess the bleeding. "Are you ready, dear?" he asked his wife.

"Almost there," she replied as she poured alcohol over the pan of instruments she'd assembled and then washed her hands with it as well. "I'm ready." She handed her husband a scalpel.

He looked at Hoss. "I want you to hold your brother's legs and lower body now. Chances are he's going to buck when I do this first incision and I'll do more damage than good if you don't hold him still."

Adam's back arched against the first pass of the blade as he cried out in agony.

Hoss kept his grip firm and turned away from what the doctor was doing. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or more frightened a few minutes later when Doctor Fredericks told his wife to administer the ether.

"I have to go deeper, Hoss. Your brother will rest easy now, so go sit while we do this."

He left, keeping his head down. When he reached the outer room, he slumped into a chair and wiped away the tears.

**Nine**

**Goin' Home**

.

Monica entered the hotel lobby and smiled as she made her way toward Ben and Little Joe. "I can't believe we got everything done last night and headed out as early as we did today." She looked around hoping to see one of the two Cartwrights missing from the reunion. "Where's that oldest son of yours, Mr. Cartwright? Don't tell me he's still sleeping."

Ben had thought about what he'd say to this question—had even practiced a reply while sitting at Adam's bedside during the night. But when Monica asked, he hesitated. He willed himself to speak and finally gave a truthful answer. "Adam was unable to stay at the hotel with us last night and won't make it back in time to say goodbye."

"Did he leave a note for me?" she asked hopefully.

Ben was beginning to sweat. "Ah…he didn't have a chance to do that. He got carried away before he could take care of anything."

Her brow creased, "What do you mean, 'he got carried away?'"

The perspiration beaded on his upper lip. "I just mean he left in a hurry."

"You can say that again." Her smile had changed to a look of doubt tinged with suspicion. "He didn't mention needing to go anywhere. What happened after I left?"

"He just had to leave."

Ben broke away and walked toward the hotel doors hoping to join the Reeds outside, but Monica took his arm preventing his escape.

"Is Adam's absence about me? Did he send me away yesterday so there wouldn't be a scene when he left?" Tears were welling in her eyes. "You know he didn't have to do that. He could have been honest." The tears flowed freely. "I told Addy that this was all too much for him…that he would come to realize how much he'd risked by helping, and now that it's over he'd just want to forget about Margot Tanner…and the rest of us."

He took her shoulders gently. "That isn't true. I'm sure Adam will send you a note as soon as he can manage it. Until then, just believe that what I've told you is the truth."

She moved in close and whispered through her tears, "I'll be fine in a minute. Please make this look like I'm giving you a hug. I don't want Sara or Addy thinking something's wrong." After a minute, she took a deep breath and moved back a step. "You want me to believe what you told me, Mr. Cartwright, but all you said was that Adam left suddenly and he'll write when he can."

Ben smiled with relief, "Exactly."

Glancing toward the doorway, he could see that Joe had gone outside already and was talking with the Reeds. Whatever his son had said to them made Cal and Sara laugh and he took a moment to appreciate what Joe was doing. The boy was still young—only 17—but Ben had every reason to believe that Joe's easy way with people would serve him well in life.

He turned back to Monica, "You're doing a wonderful thing helping the Reeds this way." Tipping her chin so that she was looking directly up at him, he told her, "You'll have to believe this until he can tell you himself: Adam has no regrets. My son has always taken on what the rest of the world might pass over. It's never easy for him, but it hasn't stopped him so far, nor will it in the future."

"Addy was right…like she usually is." In response to Ben's puzzled look, she continued, "After what happened to Adam in Placerville, I thought that we'd pushed him into doing what none of us had the nerve or skill to do ourselves. And since I was the one making sure that people told him their stories, I felt largely responsible for Tiny's attack. But Addy told me that someone like Adam worked from his own sense of honor; that we could never_ make_ him do anything."

Ben nodded. "That's Adam.

Addy came in from outside, "It's time to offer your goodbyes to Jake and Cal, Monica. They're anxious to get rolling."

Ben moved toward the door with the two women. "I wish I could see you ladies off later, but I have unfinished business to attend to. Joe will escort you to lunch and make sure you get to the stage."

After sending Monica outside, Addy extended her hand to Ben. "It was a pleasure meeting you and your two younger sons, Mr. Cartwright. I'm sorry that Hoss couldn't make it this morning. You'll extend my best to him, of course." She patted his hands as she confided, "And I'll be praying for Adam."

Ben asked, "Do you know about Adam?" She nodded as he asked, "Did Joe let something slip?"

"No, he's as discreet as you are." She smiled as she saw Ben relax. "I just saw the worry in your face yesterday when you sent us away. And I happened to be watching as that that bullet struck Tiny. From the look on Adam's face, I'm assuming it hit him as well?"

"You are an observant woman, Addy."

"I don't expect you to tell me everything, but might you at least send me off with an encouraging word about his condition?"

He kissed her hand.

"Like father, like son. Adam kissed my hand the first time we met. You've taught him well." She paused as she closed her eyes and sighed. Looking at Ben she added, "I should have known that the news isn't good, or he'd be here, wouldn't he? And you still have that worried look. I'll let you go back to him." She stood on her toes to kiss his cheek.

Ben's, "Please…:" was stilled by her hand across his lips.

"Don't worry, Mr. Cartwright. Monica has enough to worry about right now; Adam's secret is safe with me…at least for a time. I'll expect an update—sooner than later—or I'll show up on your doorstep."

It seemed that Ben's worst fears were being realized as Adam remained unresponsive. Adding misery to uncertainty, there had been a violent reaction to the ether just as Doctor Fredericks had feared. The vomiting had been so severe that Adam had been in danger of tearing his incision.

"Don't worry Ben" the doctor had reassured him. "I think the bullet ricocheted as it left the other man—probably hit a rib—angling upward into Adam. Fortunately that made it stay shallow enough that it didn't enter his intestinal cavity. However, there was a lot of damage along its path and there is much healing to do. So his continued rest is not a bad sign…yet."

Ben wasn't reassured. He sent word to Paul Martin, asking him to make the trip over to check on Adam's condition and attend to him on the journey home—hoping they could move him soon, even if he didn't awaken. The worried father hoped his son would recover more quickly in his own bed. Of course Paul had come immediately.

Doctor Fredericks welcomed Paul, and after the two had discussed the wound and the treatment, Paul had assured Ben that he wouldn't have done anything differently.

But within hours of that reassurance, Adam spiked a fever and both doctors began to look uneasy. His temperature continued to rise over the next few days, prompting the doctors to reopened and drain the incision. The wound and a large area around it were now fire-red and weepy. Adam was breathing rapidly and sweating; and except for the flushing on his cheeks and forehead brought on by the fever, he was ashen.

The two doctors spoke in hushed tones as they again changed the dressing on the infected wound.

"So what do you have to say now," Ben demanded after they'd finished. "Do you still think everything was done right?"

Paul answered honestly. "Of course you know that something's wrong, Ben. That doesn't mean that something was _done_ wrong. There are always variables that a doctor can't plan for."

"Such as?"

"The fact that Adam wasn't fully recovered from an earlier beating, the amount of trauma from the gunshot, and perhaps even the fact that the bullet went…" Paul's voice faltered.

"Went through another man first?" Ben completed the thought. "I've thought of that many times. I don't know anything about medicine, but that fact makes me shiver."

Hoss had been at his Adam's side since carrying him out of the hotel. He'd slept little, ate less, and looked weary. All the doctoring and now the arguing going on left him edgy, and he suspected that it might be having the same effect on his brother. He interrupted the sniping between Doctor Martin and his father. "Y'all need to get outta here for a while and let Adam rest. How can he get better with all the pokin' and proddin' you been doing to him. And he sure don't need to listen to you arguin'." He stood and pointed to the door. "Now scat…all of you."

Paul gave Hoss a salute as he and Doctor Fredericks walked past him toward the door. "I think you're right, Hoss."

When Ben remained behind, Hoss pointed again, "You need to go too, Pa. Send a telegram home for me. That mare should be 'bout ready to foal, and I want Joe to keep an eye on her,

Ben had sent Joe to Virginia City with the message for Doctor Martin, and then had asked him to go to the ranch and make sure things were getting done. The plan had been that he and Hoss would come home with Adam as soon as Paul gave his blessing to the move. That plan had changed as Adam's condition had deteriorated.

"You're right, Hoss. I have a couple things to tell Little Joe too." He laid a hand atop his son's. "But when I get back, I'm sending you out of here for a while. You look terrible, you know." He smiled then. "You've been a rock throughout this. I appreciate it."

Hoss followed his father to the door and looked out to make sure that everyone was gone—then closed and locked it.

In the peaceful quiet of the cleared room, Hoss dropped into the chair and let his thoughts drift back over the last few days. He realized that he had spoken very little to his father, and even less to Adam. Ben had either seemed lost in private misery or had his nose buried in the Bible; his lips moving silently as he read the promise of God's faithfulness. Hoss supposed that this was what kept his father hopeful. But he kept thinking back to the days when Adam had "slept" years before. They had all taken turns at his side back then, but instead of reading to themselves, they'd read aloud so Adam could hear. They'd also talked to Adam—had told him of every plan, and funny and ordinary thing that had happened. He wondered why it seemed so different this time.

It was Hoss's sad conclusion that back then, they'd treated Adam like he was going to live. This time it felt more like they didn't expect he would. He drew a deep breath and made a decision.

The room was stuffy and dark so he raised the shade and opened the window. He breathed deeply again as a breeze moved the curtains and cleared the stale air. Warm sunlight bathed Adam's pale face and Hoss caught his breath, sure that he saw a flicker of a smile turn his brother's lips.

"Well you seem to like that," he chuckled. "I bet you feel kind'a like cat who done found a nice warm spot to stretch out." Hoss poured a fresh bowl of cool water from the ewer and wet a cloth to dab at the sweat on Adam's forehead and cheeks. "You seem to like that too. I never could figure out why they pile blankets on a man that's already too hot. When an animal is sweatin,' I brush it and cool it down instead of layerin' more on top of all that heat." He looked around, assuring himself that the door was still locked before continuing. "Hey Adam, I'm gonna do something that might make you feel a whole lot better. Face it; right now I doubt I can make you feel much worse."

He laid back the heavy blankets. After wiping the rest of the perspiration away, he covered Adam with only the sheet and said, "There, you look cooler already." He wasn't a doctor, but Hoss knew that his brother felt better when he heard his breathing settle into a soft, easy rhythm. Pulling the chair next to the bed, he started to talk.

"You been resting long enough now, brother. It's time you come out of it." He took another deep breath, suddenly realizing that he was doing a lot of sighing lately. Maybe it was because of the stuffiness, but maybe it was just his way of keeping from yelling…or sobbing. "It ain't that I wanna be hard on ya or nothin' like that, but I think maybe you do hear what's goin' on around you. Doc Martin's upset and Pa's got his hackles up, and it ain't comin' to no good between them. I believe what the docs say about having done as much as they can for you. But you know Pa; he's always gonna think there's more to try. So he's gonna keep pushin' and they're gonna feel they gotta defend themselves."

Hoss stood and paced the room. "I guess what I'm tryin' to say is that _I _don't think them doctors _can_ do no more. Now it's up to you. You gotta live: first for you…but I want you here fer me too. You gotta be at my side on my weddin' day when I find the gal I wanna marry, and keep bossing me so's I'll learn everythin' you do about the Ponderosa. Joe needs you too, and I don't know what Pa will do if you don't get better."

He walked to the window and saw his father heading back up the alley toward the stairs. As he shut the casement a bit and covered Adam up with one of the blankets, he finished his thoughts. "You done real good with Margot, Adam—figgered her out jest right. She won't be hurtin' no one, no more. But you can't let her get away with killin' you. I'm not as smart as you in detectin' what's goin' on inside people's heads, but I know she wanted Tiny to kill you—not jest in Placerville, but the other day too. When he was threatening to break yer neck, Pa asked her to say somethin' to soothe him so he'd put you down. Instead she said something she knew would goad him into doing exactly what he was threatenin'. She knew what you'd done; that you'd managed to catch her when no one else could…and she wanted you dead real bad."

Hoss unlocked and opened the door as he heard footsteps nearing the room, saying, "Hi, Pa," as his father strode inside.

Ben noticed the open widow, "It seems less stuffy in here. Good idea, son." He went to Adam's side. "I think he looks better too." Giving Hoss a look of admiration, he asked. "What'd you do?"

A raspy voice floated upward. "He got you out of here, opened the window and took some of those dang heavy blankets off me so I could breathe!"

Hoss and Ben looked down at the patient. Adam's eyes were glassy, but they were open, and a sly, lopsided grin tipped one side of his mouth.

"Just remember, Hoss. I owe you one hard slug in the jaw."

The younger brother laughed loudly. "So you heard that, did ya? I hope it kept you fightin' just so you could take yer shot. I promise…my chin is yours, Adam…just as soon as you can catch me."

**Ten**

**Justice Is Served…Cold…With a Side of Relief**

With all that Margot Tanner had done in Placerville, it still wasn't easy to decide on the charges against her. She was extradited without problems back to California, but there remained the question of what to do with all the murders Tiny had confessed to doing at her request. Sheriff Andrews sent word to Sacramento describing what he was dealing with and a state attorney was dispatched to handle the prosecution.

No one wanted the trial to turn into a circus, but that hope was dashed within a week.

Sheriff Andrews had managed to keep the circumstances of Margot's arrest quiet in Placerville for a few days. Aside from people wondering at the goings on in the jail, there hadn't been a lot of gossip about Margot. Folks were more curious about the couple that was in town with Jake.

However, a young reporter often greased the palm of the mailroom personnel at the capital and was tipped off to the contents of a strange telegram detailing the story of a woman accused of several murders in Placerville. He headed to the mining town and was rewarded with hearing some of the same sorts of stories told to Adam, this time embellished with questionable details designed to earn the folding money being handed out for "interesting" information. The reporter sold his sensational story, and newspapers from California to New York ran articles about Margot, calling her relationship with Tiny, "the Beauty and the Beast."

Sheriff Andrews' life became more difficult with each passing day. Since he was housing a woman in his jail, he had to put curtains over the windows and construct a makeshift privacy wall. He had to keep all his "regular" clientele locked up in a storage room at the mercantile next door and this necessitated hiring men to watch his off-site prisoners. After the story broke, he added even more men to guard the jail and keep peace in town.

As the stories about Margot spread and grew, those who took delight in the macabre began to arrive, hoping to get a bellyful of the odd goings-on. They were soon followed by those who took advantage of the frenzy. Itinerant pickpockets had a field day lifting items off the clueless folks on the street. And in the saloons, cardsharps picked pockets in their own way.

Irvin Marks, the young State Attorney, knew he was up against a wall and worked day and night to figure out what best to do. There was little precedent since there were seldom cases where women were tried for murder—and never a case like this. Marks sifted through the accusations against Margot to decide what course to take. Since Ned Seeley's death had occurred in Arizona, jurisdiction became an issue in that one, and the prosecutor and sheriff came to the conclusion that there were two solid cases against Margot that would likely bring a conviction and a long prison sentence. The first was the deathbed statement from Tiny saying that Margot had killed Missy. The second was the attempted murder of Adam. The admissions of guilt in both these situations were heard by reliable witnesses and were current enough that people would remember them.

Marks felt that if he could get a conviction against Margot for murdering Missy, then the state could turn over the other suspected murder cases to the federal prosecutors. It would be easier to connect a convicted murderer to conspiracy in the other deaths. Mark's biggest fear was that if he tried to do all of the murders at once and couldn't prove the conspiracy between Margot and Tiny, then the jury might not believe that Margot had killed Missy either.

The sheriff and prosecutor weren't sure whether to be scared out of their wits or relieved when they received word that the judge trying the case was scheduled to be in Placerville in three weeks and wanted the trial then. Andy realized it would be good for the town to have it over with as soon as possible, but the prosecutor feared he wouldn't have ample time to figure out how best to present his case.

The one thing that still bothered Marks was that Margot's sweet face and apparently sweet nature when she poured on her charm, contradicted her ability to lie and manipulate situations. With the all-male jury, Marks felt she might easily sway them with a little flirtation. They'd be putty in her hands as she professed her "woe is me…how can these mean people lie about me," plea for pity. He knew that he'd have to expose who she really was first—making them understand what she was capable of doing—before they would believe what she did.

To that end, Addy was asked to speak to Margot's years in Placerville. She had observed the relationship between Missy and Margot and could tell the story of Missy's suitors, Ned Seeley's return, the visit from Margot's parents, and the tragedies that had followed each of these episodes. She could also testify to the escalating tensions before Missy died. All of this would be presented as fact alone, without any supposition about what Margot "might" have done.

They also planned to call Monica to testify to her relationship with Margot as an employee and of what happened between Marcus and Margot.

Thought was given to calling others from the town—those who had been victims of Margot's milder schemes. Yet nothing they could say offered any evidence toward the charges the prosecution was leveling. Even with the convincing stories presented by Monica and Addy, a good defense lawyer could establish reasonable doubt by asking, "Did you see Margot Tanner pull the pin on the wagon hitch?"

The significant shortcoming in their case was that the only connection to any murder was the statement of an enraged lover who was shot while trying to kill the man he thought Margot loved more than him.

In the end, their hopes hung squarely on Adam's testimony dispelling all doubts about Margot's innocence. He'd been part of the fantasies that she'd created, and he had lived through what she did to those who displeased her. In essence, her "attempt" to murder Adam proved that she was capable of murdering Missy.

When Sheriff Andrews heard from Carson City that Adam was not faring well, he informed Irvin Marks that his best witness might not make it to the stand. The sheriff and prosecutor told others that the case against Margot was a sure thing, but in private they worried that given the right set of circumstances, she could walk free.

Sheriff Andrews had finally bolstered the prosecutor's sagging confidence by saying, "Despite the odds that he won't make it, it's Adam Cartwright, so he'll be here."

Paul Martin respected Doctor Fredericks but was eager to get Adam back to the Ponderosa where he could keep an eye on him without worrying about stepping on another physician's toes. After Adam awoke, Paul waited until he was able to keep water and broth down before telling Ben to make arrangements for an enclosed wagon with a pallet.

Doctor Fredericks advised against traveling so soon, but knew it was fruitless to put up any resistance. There weren't many patients he'd cared for that had as supportive a group hovering around him as Adam Cartwright had. He also trusted that Paul Martin wouldn't let anything happen to this particular patient. Fredericks had counted Adam out once before and had been surprised at his recovery. This time had proven a similar circumstance. The young man seemed to cross over the fires of hell to live, and it was clear that he'd made the journey again.

The doctor spoke to Paul as he prepared for the trip. "You've known the Cartwrights since you got to Virginia City, right?" He saw Paul nod and continued, "My guess is that they use your services frequently?"

"Yes, they do. They work hard and fight harder."

"I assume that they're a well-respected family."

"They are, and I'm one of their biggest supporters."

"You know I took care of Adam before you moved to Virginia City. Tell me, did he make it to school back East?"

Paul answered the best he could. "I wasn't around back then, but I know he went to Boston and came back with a degree in engineering. He's done some remarkable things with his knowledge since getting back home."

Fredericks wrinkled his face as he asked, "If he's an engineer and a respected rancher, how did he end up in such dire circumstances again? Ben was going to tell me about it, but with all that went on, I never questioned him further"

"As I understand it, he was trying to find answers for several people who had been affected by a crazy woman's schemes. Ben and his sons are honorable men and they often get pulled into circumstances that other men might avoid. Adam is intelligent, intuitive and never backs down if he thinks there's been injustice. It's gotten him into trouble before and I'm sure he'll be in it again."

Neil Fredericks shook Paul's hand as they stood at the door. "I hope this family knows what a good doctor…and friend they have in you."

Ben and Hoss supported Adam as he made his way from the room he'd been in for the last week.

"Thank you, doctor," Ben offered sincerely.

"You're welcome, Mr. Cartwright. It's always an interesting experience dealing with your family." Turning his attention to Adam he added, "Stay out of the range of flying bullets, young man. I think there may be a limit to the number of times a doctor can patch you up."

Adam grinned. "They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger…but others say that what doesn't kill you postpones the inevitable. I assure you I'm not anxious to continue proving either theory."

Adam was settled into his own bed for the first time in weeks. He'd barely begun to relax when he heard his father roaring downstairs.

"This is insanity. How can they expect him to testify in two weeks?"

"Calm down, Pa. Maybe we can do something about this so's Adam don't have to go so soon." Hoss's voice carried upstairs just as his father's had.

Adam's door opened further and Little Joe strode in. "I suppose you can hear all the whoop-de-do going on downstairs."

"What's Pa so upset about?"

"Margot's trial is coming up fast. Sheriff Andrews sent a telegram, and once Pa gets over being indignant, he'll come up and go through it with you." He thought for a moment, "They sure didn't waste any time did they?"

"I suppose it's all in the way the circuit judge's schedule runs. Sometimes you wait forever to get a hearing and sometimes they show up in a couple of days. I suspect that Andy will be glad to have it over."

"Do you think you'll be up to travelling in a week or so? You didn't look so good by the time we got you home today."

Adam glared at his brother. "I'll remember this the next time you look like something a cat dragged in." He sniffed, "I thought I did pretty well."

Joe laughed. "Maybe you should look in the mirror before you say that."

The glare continued as he considered Joe's question. "I'll go testify if I have to crawl to the witness stand."

The two brothers exchanged a grin as Joe offered, "I think I'd pay to see that."

Margot Tanner didn't have money to hire an attorney, but once the _Beauty and the Beast _story broke in the papers, she had her pick of lawyers willing to defend her for the publicity it afforded. After receiving several telegrams, she chose someone based on what she considered was the most influential thing about him: his name. The attorney she chose was Blakemore Chesterfield.

She told Sheriff Andrews, "Anyone with a high-falutin' name like that should be someone to reckon with." She imagined him being tall, with a fair face and a history of winning the toughest cases just on his personality and sterling tongue. With that name, he had to be wealthy—from and old family back East, and she figured he had pedigree that would wow the hayseeds in Placerville.

Fortunately one thing Margot imagined about Blakemore Chesterfield proved true; he was a good lawyer with a record of victories in tough cases. But she couldn't believe her eyes when she first saw him. Blakemore was not the aristocrat she imagined. Instead, he was a short, balding man, about 50 years of age with a pocked complexion, large stomach, tiny, narrow-set eyes, and tendency to make pig-like snorting noises as he cleared his throat before he spoke.

Margot was not happy, but there was no time to engage another lawyer.

The trial was held in the back room of the hardware store with a makeshift judge's bench, a witness chair set on a long, flat shipping crate, and a table each for the prosecution and defense. Their table was no more than four feet across, but Margot sat as far away from Blakemore Chesterfield as possible. When he'd lean over to make a comment, she'd stiffen and bend away from him. She hated Blakemore Chesterfield and was even heard screaming at him in her cell—calling him a swine and a weasel.

Yet she hated one person even more.

The first witnesses for the prosecution—Abby and Monica—were each on the stand for hours as their stories were laid out. As expected, Chesterfield's cross examination showed that neither of them had seen Margot kill anyone.

The final witnesses for the charges of murder were Sheriff Michaels and Sheriff Andrews. Both had heard Tiny's confession. Chesterfield could do little to negate the testimony of these lawmen, except to ask again if they had seen Margot tamper with the hitch. He also questioned whether Tiny might have lied as a way to hurt Margot for spurning him.

The defendant's response to the testimony being given left the viewing public stymied. Margot didn't seem upset by having her life laid out in all its ugliness. Instead, she spent most of the day making faces or laughing to herself as Abby and Monica recounted their experiences. She pointed her finger at them as they left the witness chair and yelled, "Liar!" when they walked past her on their way back to their seats.

Court was adjourned for the day with Adam expected to testify in the morning. He would be followed by the sheriffs as the evidence in the attempted murder was presented. However, it was nearing dusk and there was still no sign of the star witness.

Sheriff Andrews sighed in relief, giving the prosecutor a slap on the back as they saw the Cartwrights drive past the jail in their wagon. "I told you he'd be here!" he said with the confidence he'd been lacking only minutes earlier.

Addy was beside herself as she saw Adam walk in to the hotel and hurried to him with words of welcome. "Dear boy, you're here and in one piece! Shame on you for making us worry."

His welcome from the Reeds, and Jake was equally as warm. Monica greeted him with a peck on the cheek and a question about his health.

"I'm doing well," he replied with the same coolness with which her question was delivered. He wondered if she were simply angry that he had sent her away the day he'd been shot or if there was more to it. He didn't regret his decision not to confide in her. There was a limit to how much mothering a man could accept from a woman that he didn't want as a mother.

Adam saw Sheriff Andrews enter the hotel and moved toward him, leaving Monica standing alone. He needed to talk more with her, but decided that it would have to wait.

By late-morning Irvin Marks began to recap Adam's early testimony as he prepared to ask the most damning questions. "So far we know that Margot tried to extort money from your father by claiming that Jake Tanner was actually her son, fathered by you. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"After Jake exposed Margot's lies, you confronted her about what she had done. What reasons did she give?"

"She said that she knew that I loved her and was kept from asking her to marry her by my father. It was her intent to make both of us pay for betraying her. She also said that she was desperate."

"Were you ever intimate with Margot Tanner?"

"No."

"Did you ever call on her or have feelings for her?

"Never."

"What did you do after finding out about Margot's fantasy concerning you?"

"I began to wonder how many other lies she might have told about me and went to Placerville to speak with people who had known or worked with Margot while she lived here."

"Did you draw any conclusions about Margot's behavior after these conversations?

Chesterfield objected. "Speculation. This man is not qualified to draw conclusions about the defendant's behavior."

The judge said, "Sustained."

"Let me ask you this," Irvin redirected, "Did you find out anything that pertained to you?"

Margot's lawyer tried to argue hearsay, but the judge allowed Adam to answer.

"I was told by several people that Margot had represented herself as my fiancée."

"Were you ever engaged to Miss Tanner?"

"No."

"What happened on the second day that you were in town?"

"I spent the day talking with Addy Barker. That evening I was attacked by a man named Tiny who left me for dead."

"Did he say why he was attacking you?"

"Yes." He said, "As closely as I recall, 'You hurt Margot so you got this coming.' And as he was kicking me, he said, 'Why'd you have to come here asking about her. She told me I had to take care of you so you don't ask no more questions.'"

"You're positive he said that Margo told him to do it?"

"Yes."

"The beating left you severely injured?"

"Yes."

Irvin held up papers. "These are medical records from Doctor Stevens that I'm offering into evidence. They reveal that Mr. Cartwright received egregious injuries consisting of trauma to the head and torso caused by a man's boot, and severe injuries to his eyes and face when he was blindsided in the initial attack. Does this report correctly identify your injuries, Mr. Cartwright?"

"Yes."

"When you recovered enough to travel, what did you do?"

"When I heard that Margot was in Carson City, I became worried for Jake and his grandparents, so I went there."

Irvin spoke to the jury, "I'm submitting records from your bank in Carson City showing that Margot Tanner tried to remove funds from your accounts while claiming that she was your widow." He looked back at Adam, "Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Your banker also sent an affidavit saying that Miss Tanner said she had both a marriage and death certificate to prove her positions. Did you have reason to believe that she really thought you were dead?"

Chesterfield jumped up to object.

Marks withdrew the question and asked instead, "We will soon hear from Sheriff Michaels who will tell us that he was with you later in the day when Miss Tanner asked the man named Tiny to verify that he had killed you, so it appears obvious that she thought you were dead. What did you and the sheriff decide to do about Miss Tanner at that point?"

Adam told the story leading up to what had happened in the hotel dining room. Margot had chuckled during some parts of Adam's testimony and had laughed out loud as he denied knowing her intimately. The judge had warned her about her behavior several times as she had either cleared her throat loudly, or made comments under her breath. Her odd behavior tapered off as the questioning continued, but at the point where Adam began to describe the circumstances of her arrest, she lost control.

She stood abruptly, screaming, "You are such a liar, Adam Cartwright! None of this would have happened if you'd just admitted that you cared for me twelve years ago. We'd have been happily married and no one would have had to die! It's your fault." She threw her head back, cackling, "All of this is your fault!"

The courtroom erupted in noise and activity. Onlookers began talking. Margot's attorney pulled at her arm as he tried to get her to sit down and be quiet, and the judge called for order while banging his gavel.

One of the newly appointed deputies moved in quickly to force Margot back into her chair. As he attempted to subdue her, she slipped under his arm and around his back to grab his revolver and stepped toward the witness chair. Pointing the gun at Adam, she spoke with deadly calm, "I should have taken care of you myself a long time ago, just like I finally did with Missy." She pulled the hammer back and shot.

Her second shot went high, breaking several glass lanterns on a shelf behind the judge. Glass splintered and fell around him like ice crystals as a third shot resounded in the room. That round came from Sheriff Andrews's gun. As the smoke cleared, Margot sprawled across the defendant's table in a pool of blood.

After a moment of shocked silence, pandemonium broke loose. Women screamed and a stampede of people headed toward the door knocking over chairs in their rush to exit.

Addy stood observing the chaos around her. She had seen the first bullet bring Adam to the floor and her heart had seized. Margo had finally accomplished her goal—even if it had cost her own life. She turned to see Monica doubled over and weeping, but was unable to offer her any comfort. She saw the Cartwrights moving toward Adam and ached for their loss. The Reeds were huddled together; Sara's face was white and uncomprehending.

Addy sat down involuntarily, numb and grieving, wondering if life would ever be the same for any of them.

The crack of the gavel sounded as if the judge had split the table with the force of his swing. His voice boomed, "I want order!" The room quieted enough that he could be heard. "Everyone will sit down! The danger is over, but this trial isn't. We will conclude before anyone leaves." He ordered the deputies to secure the doors and make sure people returned to their seats.

Doctor Stevens had been watching the proceedings and had made his way to the witness chair as soon as the gunfire ended. In response to the judge's question as to how badly Adam was injured, he reported that he was fine except for a few splinters.

"I was sure she got you," the judge confided as he leaned over to address Adam while his family helped him to stand.

"She got the chair leg. As fast as she was able to point and cock and that gun, I thought it was all over. But her aim drifted low as she fired."

When Addy heard Adam's voice she jumped from her chair, shouting, "Praise be!" She expected that Monica would join her celebration, but was surprised to see that she remained doubled over and silent.

Once Doctor Stevens verified that Margot was dead, her body was quickly taken away and a tarp from the hardware store was used to cover the table where her blood remained. With the scene back to a semblance of order, the judge called again for quiet."

"This has been one of the strangest trials I've ever presided over. I know a judge must remain impartial but I think that the evidence for both indictments was sound and would have brought a conviction.

I commend Mr. Marks for presenting this case without capitalizing on any of the sensationalism it has evoked. The witnesses did an exceptional job testifying. You simply and clearly put forth the facts as they led toward the conclusion of Miss Tanner's involvement."

The judge asked the defense attorney to stand. "I want to commend you as well, Mr. Chesterfield. I think you did a fine job trying to establish doubt with an extremely difficult client."

He turned his attention to the others seated before him. "Miss Tanner was obviously a disturbed woman. I have known cold-blooded killers. It still always amazes me how they are able to absolve themselves from any guilt in taking the lives of their victims. In this case, Margot Tanner seemed to see no personal responsibility for her actions, so I would label her a cold-blooded killer as well. We wonder how a person can drift so far from the truth and ask 'why?' But when a person has gone so far off center, I've come to see that for them, the question is really, 'why not?' I'm not sure how a person loses his conscience, but once that inner voice of right and wrong is gone, they see nothing inappropriate with lies and even murder to get their way."

He pointed his gavel toward the audience. "I'm sure there are reporters in this group who are drooling with the thought of how they're going to exploit this story…and make a goodly sum in doing it. I can't stop you, but I ask you to remain principled. Margot Tanner hurt many people. If you make a mockery out of this by including half-truths and speculation, or turn this into some dime novel, you'll hurt these people even more. There's a good story here—one that others can learn from—if you write it correctly. I'll be reading what you post, and will be in touch if I think there's been any tampering with the facts."

Raising his gavel one last time, he said, "This trial is concluded."

**Eleven**

**Time To Say Goodbye**

Those directly involved in the trial walked across the street to Monica's hotel. They'd been scheduled to have lunch there anyway, and they headed toward the dining room while Sheriff Andrews posted guards at the door to keep the curious at bay.

Adam followed Monica as she headed for her office while the others drifted into groups, talking about what had occurred.

He slipped in behind her and shut the door. "That was quite a morning…"

She nodded without speaking.

"What's bothering you, Monica?"

"You just said it was quite a morning. That should be enough, don't you think?" She didn't look at him.

"Perhaps," he answered dryly, "But you were already upset when I arrived yesterday…hours before what happened today. So, what's wrong?"

She slid her hand along the glossy surface of her desk as she moved behind it, and finally said, "Everything…"

Adam chuckled. "That's a pretty wide range. Can you narrow it down a little?"

She shrugged her shoulders in reply.

"Are you upset with me?"

Her blue skirt whirled as she turned and walked back to him. Placing her hand on his cheek, she said, "No, Adam. I'm not upset with you."

"Then what?"

She shrugged her shoulders again. "So much has changed."

"A lot has happened, and circumstances have changed, but you haven't changed, have you?" He led her to a small sofa in the corner of the room and sat facing her.

Her breath made a whistling sound as she exhaled through pursed lips. Looking at him briefly before lowering her eyes, she whispered, "Yes."

"Tell me what's on your mind."

She wiped at the tears trickling down her cheeks. "When I saw you go down in court earlier—thinking that Margot had finally killed you—it hit me squarely that I was responsible for your death."

"That's not true!"

"Adam, just listen. Your father and Addy convinced me that no one can make you do something that you don't want to do…or keep you from doing what you are committed to doing on your own. The reason I'm responsible for what happened to you started years ago with Marcus's death and continued with all those that followed."

"I don't understand. There was nothing you could have done to prevent what happened."

"Don't be so sure." Monica's eyes were filled with pain and doubt as she struggled to keep from sobbing. "It goes back to when Marcus died. At the time, I was madder at Marcus than I was at Margot, and wouldn't put the pieces together. He betrayed me: that's all I could see." She sniffed as her nose began to run. "I know that he didn't have an affair with her. For me, his betrayal was more about believing her lies. I never gave him any reason to doubt me, and yet he believed her…while accusing me of lying to protect myself."

Adam took her hands. "I understand that, Monica. She was an expert at making people question what they might never have thought they would."

She nodded. "I see that now, but I was so hurt when Marcus died that I thought only about my pain. It didn't even cross my mind to think about what _she_ did to _him_…how badly he felt, or how confused he was about what had happened. I suspected that she had arranged his death, and even thought about telling the sheriff about my concerns. But others convinced me that there was no 'evidence' of her involvement. I ran off to San Francisco to hide from the truth. When I got back, I put my energy into showing Margot up rather than standing up for Marcus. I threw myself into the business and became successful on my own. Instead of finding justice, I found retribution in knowing that she had to watch me become what she could never be."

She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. "I thought it was enough to show my superiority. I continued to think it was enough even after Belle came to me and told me about the blackmail schemes that sounded a lot like what had happened to Marcus. If I'd even gone to the sheriff then, I might still have stopped her."

Adam broke into her narrative. "This is very contemplative, Monica…and defeating. You can't know how things would have worked out if you'd confronted her. Chances are you'd have ended up dead as well."

"That's a possibility, but I didn't even try. You didn't let her stop you even after she tried to kill you."

"But there was so much more evidence by the time I went after her. She couldn't lie or kill her way out of everything. It had grown too large to handle."

She hiccupped as she tried to stifle a sob. "Don't you see? If I'd pressed the sheriff back then—done some investigating of my own and let her know that she couldn't get away with murder—none of that other 'evidence' would have ever happened!"

He gave her his handkerchief and drew her to his shoulder. "You're being mighty hard on yourself. None of know how our actions might change the course of events. It's over now. You did the best you could and in the end that's all we can do. Look at all the good you've done around this town, and are doing for the Reeds and Addy. You can move on now—all of you—without Margot."

Her voice was muffled by his shirt. "Margot will always be there. I'm afraid that I'm doing good for the Reeds now because I was too much of a coward to save their daughter when it mattered."

"I understand how it may seem that way to you, but I don't think anyone else does. Life is a series of choices. Sometimes we make the wrong ones—or at least it seems that we have. The Reeds probably feel guilty that they didn't try harder to find their daughter, and I suspect Addy feels great guilt for letting Missy return to Margot's house the day she died. You all have to go on from here rather than worrying about what might have been." He pulled her closer. "We'll all have to remind each other of that."

Monica sat up and held him at arm's length. "There's more."

He smiled understandingly as one eyebrow rose.

"I told you that I was angry at Marcus. I didn't understand how he could let someone like Margot trick him."

"And now you understand."

"I've come to realize that Margot could bend the truth to destroy anyone." She gave him a teary smile. "You didn't even know her and she derailed your life for a while. And as intelligent as your father is, he was fooled too. I can't be mad at Marcus anymore and am ashamed of how I acted. He was used, abused, and murdered because he stood up to her. I need time to mourn my husband as I should have years ago. He deserves that."

Adam pulled her to him and nestled her in his arms.

After a few moments, she pulled away and looked directly into his eyes. "Somehow you don't seem upset by what I've said." She gave him a wary look. "I'm wondering if you've had a few realizations of your own."

His cheeks turned pink as he considered how to answer. "I've been doing a lot of thinking too."

"I thought so. So what had you planned to tell me?"

"That it's not easy to get to know each other in the best of circumstances. In this case our connection to Margot—and the events of the last few weeks—would certainly have some impact. I was going to suggest we each take some time to let those effects wane a bit before trying to figure out whether we'd like to become a couple. It does seem that we both have unfinished business because of this. You're grieving your husband and need to work out the guilt you're feeling toward those you think you let down."

She nodded. "I think you understand perfectly. And what's your 'unfinished business?'"

"Hoss told me that there was a bridge between my father and me that he thought no one could destroy. But he saw how Margot's lies and Pa's doubts about my truthfulness had done some serious damage to it. My brother is a very smart man." Adam smiled thoughtfully. "Pa and I have started to rebuild that bridge. We've talked more in the last two weeks than in all the time since I came home from school. But it's going to take time for us to stop acting like we're walking on eggs around each other. That can only happen if I go back and work through it with him. Nothing else in my life will seem right until I get things right at home."

He pushed a wayward strand of hair back behind her ear and raised her chin. "So it seems like we're saying goodbye..."

"Seems so."

After a time he rose, saying, "I suppose we should join the others before Addy comes looking for us," before helping her up and drawing her near for a goodbye kiss.

As they neared the dining room, he teased gently, "I understand there's only one hotel in Placerville worth staying at."

"That's what I hear. They guarantee beds free of lice and bed bugs, give you clean towels without an extra charge, and keep their guests from being beaten to within an inch of their lives. They also offer a wonderful welcome from the owner."

He winked at her. "Don't forget the likelihood of having your pants hidden by a sly, 80-year-old desk clerk."

Her bottom lip trembled as her eyes welled again with tears. "Promise me you'll come back to this part of the world someday."

"I promise." He rested his cheek against her head. Looking up, he saw his father wave to him from their table.

"I'll send Addy to find you if you don't." She gave him a nudge. "Get going, Adam Cartwright. Your family's waiting."

The End.

*John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

2 This part of the story goes back to a series I wrote called _It's Just a Year_. In the third story, _The Worst of Consequences – A lesson in Choices_, a 17 year old Adam faced a sleazy trail hand in a shootout to protect his father. The trail hand played on Adam's fear that Ben was too old and slow to compete, and used Adam's lack of killer instinct to get the first shot. While it only grazed Adam, it damaged an artery that opened and bled throughout the day as Adam insisted on completing the trail ride, nearly causing his death. The loss of blood put him into a coma lasting several weeks, as told in the fourth story, _The Quiet Months_. Dr. Fredericks tended to Adam but saw no good end, and tried to get Ben to move him to a facility rather than tending to him at home. In this current story, Ben is forced to rely on the same doctor who had given up on his son once before.


End file.
